State parks commissioners are set to vote on a $2.1 million purchase of Abiqua Falls at a public meeting in Salem on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission's business meeting begins at 9:45 a.m. at the Oregon Department of Transportation Commission Room, 355 Capitol St. NE, Room 103. It will also be streamed on the parks department's website.
The agenda includes the Abiqua Falls acquisition and construction contracts for Silver Falls State Park, two items with direct ties to popular Mid-Valley destinations.
How the Abiqua Falls acquisition reached the commission
The Abbey Foundation of Oregon, which supports Mount Angel Abbey, listed the roughly 200-acre Abiqua Creek property for open auction in early February 2026 after more than a century of stewardship.
The 92-foot waterfall sits atop a columnar basalt cliff about 30 miles east of Salem, reached by a rough unpaved road and a short, steep hike.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers responded by passing Senate Bill 5701 during the 2026 legislative session, allocating $2.1 million in lottery bond funds for the purchase. Sen. Fred Girod, R-Silverton, sponsored the measure. The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported in March that the bill had bipartisan support in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.
Girod said in March that "Oregon is pledging that Abiqua Falls will continue to be protected and accessible for generations to come," according to the Associated Press.
The parks department must still complete environmental and archaeological reviews before the purchase closes, according to OPRD spokesperson Katie Gauthier. Gauthier told the AP in March that the property would not necessarily become a state park, noting the agency is "concerned about the impact managing a property like this could have on an already stretched state park system."
The commission vote would formally authorize spending the legislative funds.
Silver Falls visitor center
Commissioners will also act on construction contracts for Silver Falls State Park, Oregon's largest state park, which draws 1.4 to 1.5 million visitors a year. The Statesman Journal reported in June that the commission approved the ability to award a contract for the final phase of a $6.5 million visitor center on the park's north end, just off Highway 214.
Chris Gilliand, Silver Falls district manager, told the Statesman Journal in June that visitors entering from the north "see a lot of confusion" because there is no orientation point. The center will include a lobby, café, dining area, covered patio and trails connecting to the Trail of Ten Falls. Construction could begin in February 2027 and finish in 2028.
A planned 50-site campground was dropped from the project due to rising costs. The Friends of Silver Falls nonprofit is raising $900,000 for the center's interior through a campaign called "Falls for All."
Other agenda items
The agenda also includes votes on amendments to archaeological permit rules, changes to the Local Government Grant program's matching requirements under SB 1585, updates to Land and Water Conservation Fund allocation rules, and revised procurement and contracting rules.
The day before, Tuesday, Sept. 22, commissioners will tour Detroit Lake State Park and hold a work session on state historic preservation operations.
How to weigh in
Residents who want to speak at the meeting must register online by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21. Written comments go to [email protected] by the same deadline. Each speaker gets three minutes. Anyone needing accommodations should contact commission assistant Jayme Jones at [email protected] or 971-707-2175 at least three days in advance.
