MARION COUNTY, Oregon — In the Santiam Canyon, the signs are everywhere. Many of the Marion County parks in the canyon’s corridor are closed to the public because of wildfire hazards. Almost four years after the deadly Beachie Creek Fire burned over 200,000 acres, other signs of regrowth are popping up again.
“Nature has a way of restoring itself, but it takes time,” said Marion County Parks Supervisor Kevin Thompson. On April 12, county officials led a tour through the canyon, stopping at seven parks to show the progress crews have made towards getting them back open.
“Our main goals are making sure that they're being open for safe recreation, and also protect the vulnerable environment and infrastructure that we have here as we're starting to rebuild,” said Thompson.
“When you come up through this canyon, now you can see homes that are rebuilt that you couldn't see before because of the trees that were so thick — but you see different beauty,” said Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron. Cameron saw firsthand what residents went through after losing their homes.
In April, Senate Bill 1545 was signed into law. It has the potential to reset property tax assessments back to pre-fire rates for people who have rebuilt or plan to.
Cameron welcomes visitors and offers a reminder. “Remember that there's still a lot of people and a lot of nature that's going through recovery. So take that into mind and maybe you know be a little slower. Enjoy your time and say a little prayer for those people,” he said.
For those familiar with the parks along the Santiam River, Packsaddle Park and North Santiam Park are currently open. North Fork and Bear Creek will reopen on May 15. Work continues on the other parks, mostly due to safety concerns and allowing fragile vegetation to take hold. Marion County collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, numerous nonprofits and other agencies to get to this point.
“The whole area is in a state of repair and rebuilding. If you're interested, take a look and see if there's volunteer opportunities or ways that maybe you want to get involved yourself like that,” Thompson said.
The scars will remain for a long time, but the signs are beginning to look a little more promising.
“The fire came through, it severely impacted the community here — they are in the process of healing and restoring themselves as well. So just coming in with that attitude of being a good visitor to these parks in these areas, I think is important,” said Thompson.