National Park Service A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States

THE POPULATION is about equally divided between urban and rural, and it follows a very uneven pattern of distribution. Eighty-five percent of the people live in the western part of the State, principally in the Wiliamette and Columbia-West-of-Cascades Drainage Basins.

Oregon possesses outstanding recreational resources, including great forested mountain areas, expansive plateaus, a highly scenic coast line, and many fresh water lakes and streams. The extensive Federal holdings in national parks and forests provide many recreational facilities. The State park system, which is administered by the State Highway Commission, contains 127 areas. Four hundred miles of coast line under State jurisdiction constitute one of the major attractions. In general, development to date has been restricted to areas of most intensive use.

Many additional tracts of land possessing recreational, scenic, scientific, and historic value should be acquired to round out the State's program. Of prime importance also is the acquisition of outstanding tracts of roadside timber representing typical stands of the several types of forests. Rapidly increasing park usage in the western part of the State will require an early expansion of recreation facilities, such as picnic grounds, water supply, and sanitation facilities. The stocking of lakes with trout and other game species will likely be necessary to meet the growing popularity of fishing.

In the comparatively dry plateau region of the east, urban communities are smaller and rural population is distributed much more thinly. Recreation areas adjacent to the main highways, however, are used extensively by tourists in this area. An important problem is the provision of water and shade for summer visitors. On the whole, eastern Oregon has many points of scientific and historic interest that should be acquired and administered by the State.

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¹ Portion of project areas being developed for recreation.

² 25 square feet.