Oregon State Parks are a treasure.

They range from colossal sand dunes on the coast to the otherworldly geologic features at Fort Rock east of the Cascades. There are campgrounds and even a hotel.

Most of it runs pretty seamlessly.

But Oregon’s state park system is also bursting at the seams with growth and in need of new investments, said Jason Resch, a spokesperson for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. There’s one problem, how to fund the infrastructure upgrades needed to modernize the aging state park system.

“We are facing a record number of visitors, an enormous backlog of projects that are decades in the making, and a revenue stream that can’t keep up,” said Resch.

The system is in need of upgrades because much of the infrastructure dates from the middle of the last century, said OPRD Associate Director Chris Havel.

“There was a major push for developing services in the 1950s and 1960s, so that means there are quite a few facilities around 75 years old. Little things go wrong at every park every year,” said Havel.

Oregon State Parks’ biennial budget of $260 million is unique among state agencies in that it is not funded by tax dollars but instead by three separate revenue streams — Oregon Lottery funds, RV and ATV registration fees, and the fees that come from camping and parking payments made at state parks.

In the best of times, this funding structure allows OPRD to keep the lights on and conduct required repairs and maintenance. But the pandemic threw a wrench into the works in 2020 when quarantines temporarily shuttered the state parks system. Bars also closed, slashing Lottery ticket sales for much of the year.

The Oregon Legislature recognized that the state park system needed a boost and provided $50 million in general obligation bonds to the agency. It was a timely gift for state parks, on the eve of an important milestone — 2022 marks 100 years since the first park land was donated to the state.

Money from the bonds will be issued in two disbursements of $25 million each, once in May 2022 and then in March 2023. The money will go towards facility upgrades and improvements at more than 10 state parks and related facilities.

Around 40% of the funds will go towards enhancement and expansion projects at campgrounds and visitor facilities and 5% will go toward historic restoration projects. The remaining funds will go toward rehabilitation and efficiency improvements.

“One of the key impacts of this general obligation bond funding will be to address much of the backlog maintenance the department faces,” said Matt Rippee, central park services manager with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

The bonds are a one-time opportunity to make some much-needed improvements, but it’s a temporary fix, said Resch.

“The truth is that our current revenue maintains the existing system but doesn’t help us plan for the future,” he said. “It doesn’t help us meet the growing demand for state parks. It doesn’t allow us to build more campsites or add more parking lots, or add more accessible trails and restrooms.”

Last year visitor numbers rose to 53.7 million, beating the previous record of 51.7 million set in 2016. More than 3 million camper nights were also logged last year, the first time the state eclipsed the 3 million mark.

The rising visitor numbers help fill the state park coffers with revenue from parking permit fees and reservation fees, which help to offset the costs brought by more visitors. But the lottery remains the largest source of revenue for the agency, accounting for around 31% of the budget.

OPRD Director Lisa Sumption said that while the increase in visitor numbers is good news it did come with a cost as the system was just not prepared for the crowds.

“Last year’s record visitation was somewhat of a shock to a system that has limited sewer, trash, parking and campsites,” said Sumption. “As we look to the next 100 years, we want to expand parks so more people can enjoy them.”

Still, the increasing numbers are a good problem to have and Resch thinks there are ways to get the numbers even higher. Increased marketing could play into that. The department has an online campaign to promote its attractions.

“OPRD is building digital gateways to parks and heritage sites,” said Resch. “We want folks from anywhere in the state, or even the world, to log in and explore our parks.”

The more opportunities that users have to get inspired, the better chance that OPRD has to build a clientele that can carry it into its second century.

Michael Kohn is a reporter for The Bulletin in Bend.