Mount Emily Recreation Area developing new parking permit program for 2025

By Garrett Christensen on Monday, October 21st, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION COUNTY – Over the next two years, visitors to the Mount Emily Recreation Area (MERA) may notice a new parking permit system being implemented for several parking areas. The aptly named Park Fees Subcommittee of the MERA Advisory Council is developing a new Parking Permit Program to be implemented at non-motorized trailhead parking areas, including the Owsley Canyon Trailhead, Lower Igo Trailhead, and Upper Igo Trailhead. As written in a draft proposal for the program:

“The Parking Permit Program will designate fee parking at MERA’s non-motorized trailheads. Individuals wishing to park in these designated fee areas will be lawfully required to obtain a MERA parking pass prior to parking. Parking passes will be transferable between vehicles, but only valid for one vehicle at a time.”

The purpose of the new permit system is to generate revenue specifically to support the upkeep of MERA’s non-motorized trailheads, which lack some of the funding opportunities (such as OPRD Grants) currently used to fund its motorized trailheads.

If implemented, annual and day use fees would be available for purchase online at meetmera.org, with a potential option for on-the-spot purchasing of permits at trailheads via QR codes. Tentative pricing (as listed in the draft) would be:

$5.00 Day use parking pass
$30.00 Annual parking permit
$20.00 Discounted annual parking permit for active military, veterans, EMS, law enforcement, and low-income families.

Tentative penalty for violating the parking pass system is proposed as a $50-100 citation, with the option to receive an annual pass when paying the citation. Other points brought up in the proposal and clarified during a recent commission meeting by Union County Parks Coordinator Josh Ford include:

The parking permit system would not impact recreational immunity

Permits would not negatively impact the Grande Ronde Bowman Club’s use of the archery range or negatively impact general usage of motorized trailheads on Fox Hill.

Heavy signage would be implemented throughout MERA to inform visitors of the program’s implementation, what areas are impacted, and what areas parking is prohibited in.

“No Parking” signs would be implemented at the Owsley Access area turn around. The road is private and NOT suitable for through traffic or parking.

Union County Parks staff would be responsible for enforcement and distribution of warnings and citations.

Though the program is tentatively scheduled for implementation in 2025 (if approved in 2024 by commissioners), Josh Ford clarified that there would be a one-year grace period before penalties are implemented while the public is brought up to speed. This grace period would last from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. Going into 2026, citations and penalties would thus be implemented.

Note that the parking permit system proposal is still undergoing additional revisions and changes by the Parking Fee Subcommittee and IS NOT currently up for vote by Union County commissioners. A draft was presented to Union County commissioners on October 16 to receive feedback. A fully drafted ordinance for the parking permit system will be presented to the Board of Commissioners for vote at a later date.