Audit says Oregon state parks failed to complete safety inspections

Staff at Oregon’s state parks failed to complete safety inspections of park buildings and kept inconsistent records of state property, according to an audit released April 1 by the Oregon Secretary of State.

The problems, auditors found, could risk visitor safety and taxpayer money due to lawsuits and fines if not addressed.

“Oregonians love their state parks and have been able to safely enjoy them for decades,” Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said in a statement. “The findings in this audit will help protect that important legacy and our public dollars.”

The audit was the latest hit in what’s been a rough stretch for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which faces a multimillion revenue shortfall and has responded with a series of unpopular fee increases and program cuts.

In response to the audit, OPRD issued a statement saying agency officials agreed with the report’s findings “and have already begun implementing improvements, many of which were underway during the audit.”

Interim director Stefanie Coons added: “The safety of our visitors and the protection of Oregon’s state parks have always guided our decisions, and we remain committed to strengthening the systems that support that responsibility.”

The audit period covered June 2022 to June 2025.

OPRD doesn’t complete building safety inspections, audit finds

Auditors found that “OPRD doesn’t consistently complete or document required building inspections.”  

“When inspections are missed or aren’t recorded, it could lead to injuries to the public and reduce confidence in the safety of Oregon’s parks,” the audit said. “These gaps could affect staff safety, limit OPRD’s ability to identify hazards early and respond properly and may result in regulatory fines.”

The areas inspected were located at overnight campgrounds that offer tent and RV camping and have restrooms.

OPRD manages about 50 campgrounds and 250 day use sites. Many of the agency’s 2,000 buildings are over 50 years old with some beyond their expected lifespans, making the quarterly inspections critical.

“Despite these requirements, we found inspections weren’t consistently performed and documented,” the audit said. “One of the parks we visited had no records of building inspections from 2022 to 2025.”

Oregon’s state parks have seen a skyrocketing number of visitors across the past decade and a half, culminating in record-setting visits in 2024.

OPRD managers told auditors that missed inspections or lack of documentation “were due to competing priorities, including prioritizing customer service — that is, being responsive to park visitors and emergent situations over ensuring records are kept accurately.”

In the past three years, OPRD received three citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, costing $10,000.

• One citation was linked to a concessionaire-operated building where OPRD and the concessionaire failed to identify and address hazards due to a lack of inspection.

• The others involved failing to check for lead paint hazards and using improperly trained forklift operators.

OPRD shows inadequate management of state property including phones, trailers

The agency is required to track and document all its capital assets — from phones to truck trailers. The audit found 38% of its assets were missing key information in state databases.

OPRD’s assets include up to $1 billion in equipment.

“Inaccurate or incomplete asset records increase the risk of theft, loss, unrecouped damages, and legal liability,” the audit said. “They can also create safety risks.”

The audit noted a backpack blower, utility trailers, an automated external defibrillator and iPhones that hadn’t been documented or had been incorrectly documented. That can mean it’s not covered by insurance.

“These types of gaps have already caused financial losses. After being destroyed by a fire, a $50,000 trash compactor had to be replaced using OPRD funds because it wasn’t listed in (state systems),” the audit said.

Audit suggestions for OPRD

Auditors issued recommendations to OPRD to address these problems, including:

• Finalize and roll out policies and procedures requiring quarterly safety inspections of employee-occupied structures, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for execution and oversight, including documentation standards.
• Update OPRD’s asset management guidance, including clear procedures for currently uncovered asset types such as infrastructure and transportation.
• Provide recurring training to all relevant personnel on asset management policies — including tagging, record-keeping and disposal procedures — and reinforce expectations through performance evaluations or other accountability mechanisms to ensure compliance.
• Continue efforts to replace the Oregon Parks and Recreation Information System with a new asset management system and ensure the new system has all required fields needed for accurate reporting.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social