An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Gregory Leon Robinson, died the morning of March 17, 2025. Robinson was incarcerated at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution (DRCI) in Madras and passed away at a local hospital. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified.

Robinson entered DOC custody on October 24, 2023, from Lane County with an earliest release date of July 5, 2026. Robinson was 35 years old. Next of kin has been notified.  

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 12 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

Deer Ridge Correctional Institution (DRCI) is located four miles east of Madras in central Oregon. DRCI is a multi-custody prison that currently houses 947 minimum-custody incarcerated adults. DRCI provides a range of correctional programs and services including education and trades programs, mental health treatment, cognitive and parenting programs, and institution work crews. Construction began in October 2005 with the first minimum-security adults in custody (AICs) arriving in September 2007. DRCI is the largest minimum-custody facility in the state and Oregon’s fourteenth prison.

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An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Brenton Daniel Schaumann, died the evening of March 15, 2025. Schaumann was incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution (TRCI) in Umatilla and passed away at the facility. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the State Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.

Schaumann entered DOC custody on August 30, 2022, from Deschutes County and with an anticipated release date of February 2, 2045. Schaumann was 35 years old. Next of kin has been notified.

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 12 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

TRCI is a multi-custody prison in Umatilla that houses approximately 1,800 adults in custody. TRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including institution and industrial laundry, mattress manufacturing, and sewing. Other institution work programs include reparation and cleaning of irrigation ditches, maintenance of local baseball fields, and work with local cities and the Hermiston School District. The facility provides a range of correctional programs and services including education, religious services, and behavioral health services. TRCI opened in 2000.

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SALEM, Oregon— Oregon State Parks experienced its busiest day-use year in history last year with more than 53.85 million estimated visits, outpacing the previous record in 2021 by about 200,000 visits.

Day-use visits increased overall by more than 3 percent last year due to visitors seeking out coastal parks in greater numbers. Other regions saw slight decreases.

Visitors also logged 2.83 million camper nights, which is down slightly due in part to construction closures at popular state parks including Beverly Beach, Bullards Beach and Nehalem Bay state parks.

The record number of day-use visits follows several other record-breaking years at Oregon State Parks. The rise in popularity does have an impact, including an increase in costs and wear and tear on an aging park system.

• One busy park needs nearly a semi-truck load of toilet paper per year for visitors.
• More than one third of restroom facilities are 50 years old or older, which require more care and maintenance with higher use. The cost to replace a restroom/shower building is now more than $1 million each.
• Parks serve as many as 17,000 campers per night in the busy season, which means moving a city roughly the size of Canby in and out of campgrounds almost daily.

At the same time, the rising cost of operations and maintenance have outpaced revenue by more than 30%. Oregon State Parks increased visitor fees this year and will continue to look at fees over the next two years to help balance the budget.

“Raising fees is not a long-term solution. We need to talk about what Oregonians want for the future of Oregon State Parks and how do we, as a state, make sure they’re sustainably funded for current and future generations” said Director Lisa Sumption.

Oregon State Parks does not receive general fund tax dollars for operations. The system is funded by recreational vehicle fees, the state lottery and revenue earned by serving visitors.

The increased visitation also underscores the need for rangers and support staff statewide. Last month, Oregon State Parks started its 2025 seasonal recruitment to hire more than 200 seasonal rangers and ranger assistants with the goal of filling all those roles this year.

Rangers and support staff work hard to keep the parks clean and safe while providing educational and recreational opportunities.

Visitors can help reduce the impact at their favorite parks by following park rules, staying on trail and leaving no trace. They might also consider visiting some of the hidden gems in the park system to find a new favorite place to explore.

The overnight camping figure is derived by taking the total number occupied sites and applying a multiplier to estimate the number of camper nights. The day-use figure is derived by taking car counts and applying a multiplier to estimate the number of visits. Car counters sometimes require maintenance and replacement, which can impact individual numbers. The overall results are OPRD’s best estimate for tracking trends over time.

Salem, OR - People around Oregon and the world now have free access to search over one million digitized photographs, letters, documents, and more from around the Pacific Northwest. These historic and cultural materials are available in Northwest Digital Heritage, a website that searches the collections of over 300 regional libraries, museums, and cultural heritage organizations.
 

Northwest Digital Heritage is an online search portal that gathers records from the online collections of libraries, museums, universities, historical societies, and other organizations in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The site was created in 2021 through a partnership between the Oregon Heritage Commission, State Library of Oregon, and Washington State Library.
 

Items available through Northwest Digital Heritage span topics, from football and women’s suffrage to Tribal treaties, Black history and culture, Crater Lake, and much more. The content has proven valuable to educators and students doing classroom projects, genealogists researching family connections, scholarly researchers, historians, cultural heritage organizations making exhibits, and other lifelong learners.
 

The over one million materials include over 60,000 photos from Oregon State Archives’ Oregon Scenic Images Collection, 20,000 items from the Oregon Historical Society Research Library, 5,000 records from the Harney County Library, 13,000 images from the Salem Public Library, and nearly 2,000 materials from the Five Oaks Museum in Washington County.
 

The collections in Northwest Digital Heritage are also included in the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), which helps bring this unique and local Northwest content to a national audience. More than 5,000 institutions throughout the nation have contributed over 50 million records to the DPLA to date.
 

“Being able to search one million records for primary sources documenting the human experience in the Pacific Northwest is an incredible opportunity for those interested in history,” says Katie Henry, Oregon Heritage Commission Coordinator. “The three Northwest Digital Heritage partners know these are only a fraction of cultural materials held by hundreds of organizations across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. We look forward to working with existing and new partners to continue growing this incredible resource.”
 

In addition to helping make this resource available, the Oregon Heritage Commission, State Library of Oregon, and Washington State Library assist heritage organizations across the Pacific Northwest. Such assistance includes:

• Training, resources, information, and guidance on digitizing and making collections accessible online;

• Grants and funding opportunities; and

• Hosting organizations’ online collections.

Northwest Digital Heritage is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon and Washington State Library. To learn more visit https://www.northwestdigitalheritage.org.

JOHN DAY, Oregon— Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site Interpretive Center will open its doors during the week of spring break before reopening for the full season.

The Interpretive Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24 and March 27-30. The Kam Wah Chung building and museum will remain closed due to nearby construction. 

Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site is a National Historic Landmark that preserves the home and businesses of two Chinese immigrants, Ing "Doc" Hay and Lung On. For more than 60 years the building was a social, medical and religious center for Oregon's Chinese community and the region.

“While visitors might not be able to experience the museum itself this spring break, they can learn about this incredible heritage site through exhibits at the Interpretive Center,” said OPRD Eastern District Manager Kirk Barham.

The center will also host information about the new visitor center, which is slated to break ground in Spring 2026. The Kam Wah Chung Interpretive Center is at 125 NW Canton Street in John Day. For more information visit the park webpage or call 541-575-2800.

OREGON COAST, Oregon— Oregon State Parks will host Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon Coast Saturday, March 22 through Sunday, March 30.

Trained Oregon State Park volunteers and rangers will be stationed at 14 sites along the Oregon Coast to help visitors spot whales and their calves and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily March 22-30. The sites are some of the best places to watch for whales on the Oregon Coast.  Cape Foulweather will not be included this year because it is closed due to construction.

“Spring is a great time for whale watching because the gray whales are usually closer to shore on their return trip, typically around a mile or so out, and they might have calves in tow,” said Park Ranger Peter McBride.

An estimated 19,260 gray whales are expected to swim past Oregon’s shores from late winter through June as part of their annual migration back to Alaska.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced an end to an Unusual Mortality Event impacting gray whales in 2023. Since then, the estimated population has increased by roughly 30% from 14,530 in 2023 to 19,260 last year, according to NOAA. The numbers are on the rise overall, but the calf count is still low as the population continues to rebound.

Whale Watch Week provides an opportunity to see not only the gray whales but other coastal wildlife including birds and other marine mammals with help from trained volunteers and rangers.

A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available online on the official event webpage: https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=thingstodo.dsp_whaleWatching

The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 22-30. Visitors to the center can enjoy interactive whale exhibits and take in the panoramic ocean views. Binoculars are provided. Rangers from Oregon State Parks will also be on hand to answer questions about the whales.

All Whale Watch Week visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring binoculars and to follow beach safety guidelines such as remaining out of fenced areas, knowing the tide schedule and keeping an eye on the surf at all times. Go to https://visittheoregoncoast.com/beach-safety/ for a list of safety tips.

For more information about coast parks and campgrounds, visit stateparks.oregon.gov.

Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and videos from Spring Whale Watch on social media using #OregonStateParks and #ORWhaleWatch.

Media Resources: photos available at this link.

Corvallis, Ore., March 13, 2025 – The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Siuslaw National Forest remind visitors to the Oregon coast that it is plover nesting season ­— beachgoers can help recovery efforts for the threatened western snowy plover March 15 to Sept. 15.

Sensitive plover nesting areas are identified on maps for the northern Oregon Coast and southern Oregon Coast. Signs may be present at trailheads with additional rules and limits, such as staying on the wet sand and no dogs even on a leash, to help protect the small shorebirds and their exposed nests during this crucial period. Visitors may also see rope fencing in dry sand areas; this fencing delineates some, but not all, of the critical plover habitat that should be avoided.

Recreation restrictions occur in designated plover management areas: stretches of beach along the coastline where plovers nest or might nest. These areas combined make up about 40 miles of Oregon's 362 miles of shoreline.

Seasonal recreation restrictions have helped protect these small birds that nest on open sand along Oregon’s beaches. Nests, and especially chicks, are well-camouflaged. During the nesting season, human disturbances can flush adult plovers away from their nests as they attempt to defend their young. Left alone too long, or too often, eggs or chicks can die from exposure, predators or people.

Reminders for recreation on designated plover beaches March 15-Sept. 15:

• The following are not permitted: dogs (even on a leash), driving a vehicle, riding a bicycle, operating electric-assisted bicycles, camping, burning wood, flying kites or operating drones.
• Foot and equestrian traffic are permitted below the high-tide line on hard packed sand.
• Respect signs and barriers to protect nesting habitat.

“With the support of the public and improvements to plover habitat, we’re making great strides in reversing the decline of this species,” said Cindy Burns, Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist. “Keep doing your part to understand nesting season rules and to share the beach this spring and summer.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed western snowy plovers as a threatened species in 1993, when officials counted only 45 breeding adults. The numbers of breeding adults have steadily increased since then due to ongoing efforts. Officials counted 440 during the breeding season survey in 2024.

“We appreciate visitors' support in keeping these shorebirds safe in the combined 40 miles of protected area along the coast. We invite visitors to enjoy permitted recreation in those areas or to recreate without seasonal restrictions on the hundreds of miles of beaches not designated as plover nesting areas,” said Laurel Hillmann, ocean shore specialist for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

More information on the snowy plover, including detailed maps of nesting sites, can be found on the Oregon State Parks website (oregon.gov/plovers) and on the Siuslaw National Forest website (https://t.ly/AKPAN). Visitors to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Sand Lake Recreation Area can review Off-highway Vehicle (OHV) maps to identify unrestricted recreation areas and information on riding motor vehicles on the sand.

New plover activity   

Plovers have been found nesting in new or historical nesting sites. For example, plover nests have been identified at the Sand Lake Recreation Area, near the lake’s inlet, every year the last few years. Beachgoers can protect these birds by recreating on the wet sand areas, avoiding roped off nesting areas, observing trail kiosks and signs, packing all trash out and keeping dogs on leash.

Background on plover protections

Several land managers oversee beach activity for plover protection, primarily the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW).

Habitat loss from invasive plants — as well as human disturbances, including litter and discarded food scraps that attract predators — have contributed to the birds’ decline. The Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative, saveoregondunes.org, is working with land managers on a restoration strategy and to raise public awareness about the need to restore the dunes ecosystem for western snowy plovers, rare plants and animals and the unique recreation opportunities offered here.

Editors: photos are available at this link.