FAQs

What can OPRD provide under the Oregon Public Records Law?

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will release any public record requested by any person unless the record is legally prohibited or exempt from disclosure. We are committed to transparency and accessible government. All government records, with a few exceptions, are considered public records under Oregon Public Records Law. Read the agency's public records policy.

What is not included in public records disclosure?

The State Attorney General maintains a list of exemptions from public records law to help protect privacy, safety and the public good. For example, the location of archaeological sites and objects is exempt from public disclosure under ORS 192.345* to protect those cultural resources.

If the request includes exempt records, OPRD will redact the portions of the documents with the exempt information and explain the reason for the redaction. If OPRD withholds any whole records, the documents OPRD does provide will include a file named “DOCUMENTS-WITHHELD.PDF” listing the number of records and the reasons they were withheld.

Does OPRD charge a fee to fulfill public records requests?

OPRD sometimes charges a fee to fulfill a public records request to recover the cost of materials and staff time as the Public Records Law allows. The costs are outlined in policy. The request itself is always free. Staff will provide a quote if a charge is necessary to fulfill the request.

When does OPRD waive the fee?

In most cases OPRD does not charge a fee to provide records for requests that take 30 minutes or less. A fee waiver or reduction of fees is determined by the director or designee when the request is in the public interest because making the record available primarily benefits the public.

How to make a public records request?

Anyone can make a request in person, by mail or through email. Try to narrow the request as much as possible. Overly broad requests can take a long time to fulfill, and in some cases are costly, so narrowing things down helps us serve you better.

Electronically: Click on the homepage and select “Make a request” on the right-hand side. Please include your email or phone number in the contact field so we have a way of asking follow-up questions and delivering your request.

Mail: Send your request to

OPRD

ATTN: Records Request

725 Summer St NE Suite C

Salem, OR 97301

In person: You can deliver a written request to 725 Summer St NE Suite C, Salem, OR 97301. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For questions, contact Katie Gauthier at katie.gauthier@oprd.oregon.gov.

*Members of the public may request redacted versions of archaeological records stored at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) by providing specific bibliographic information for select records or by providing a geographic area of interest. Private landowners may request original, unredacted versions of records pertaining to archaeological sites, survey, and excavation located within their property boundary.

Property owners wishing to inquire about the presence of previously identified archaeological resources on their property or have questions regarding a potential archaeological object or site found on their property may contact the State Historic Preservation Office at oregon.heritage@oregon.gov or by calling (503) 986-0690.