Douglas County Receives Grant for Whistler's Bend County Park Rehab Project

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners are pleased to announce that Douglas County Government was awarded a $490,000 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) through their Local Government Grant Program for the Phase I rehabilitation of Whistler’s Bend County Park located 15 miles east of Roseburg at 2828 Whistlers Park Road. “We have invested a considerable amount of money in the parks on the coast, primarily because they’re so busy and provide a return that helps support the entire parks system – which continues to provide the matching dollars for state and federal grant funding for improvement projects like this one,” stated Commissioner Chris Boice. “Parks Director Mark Wall has done an outstanding job successfully applying for grant dollars allowing us to continue investing in our parks. The amount of work our Parks Department gets done, with such a small team of people, is amazing.” The grant funds will be matched by Douglas County and utilized to begin a two-phase renovation. Phase I of the rehabilitation project will cost $980,000. Phase I includes improvements to the day use area and portions of the upper campground; replacement of single vault restrooms with ADA accessible restrooms; installation of a pavilion for public use and special events next to the Whistler’s Bend Disc Golf Course parking lot; resurfacing of the lower parking lot and access roads to improve river access; and paving of the upper campground access road and group sites. The engineering and design work for Phase I is being provided by the local engineering firm, IE Engineering, Inc. The pavilion and restrooms planned for the park will be purchased from and installed by locally owned public utility building manufacturer, Romtec, Inc. Request for Proposals are expected to go out for bid in January 2024 with work to begin in the spring, pending contractor availability. The construction timeline for Phase I improvements is estimated to be about three months. Phase II will focus on paving the upper campground, adding more full hookup sites to the upper campground, and replacing three single vault toilets in the lower campground with ADA accessible ones. Phase II improvements will also enhance the Whistlers Bend Disc Golf Course with the addition of a small pavilion and a new restroom in the middle of the course, as well as furnishing the course with additional benches and garbage receptacles throughout. Phase II will be dependent upon receiving additional grant funding the Parks Department is currently pursuing. Since its dedication to the County in 1957, Whistler’s Bend County Park is one of the most popular day use and overnight parks in Douglas County. Located on an oxbow peninsula on the North Umpqua River, the park boasts direct river access, a boat ramp, 13 full-hookup campsites, 42 non-hookup campsites, restroom, and shower facilities, 5 rustic yurts (3 of which are on the riverfront), playground, and picnic sites. Whistler’s Bend County Park also boasts a nationally ranked, highly rated 27-hole disc golf course. “Our current Board of Commissioners have been very judicious with their decisions to continue to invest in the Parks Department over the past several years,” remarked Parks Director Mark Wall. “The ongoing partnership with OPRD has been the key to executing the Board’s vision for Douglas County Parks and we have some very exciting projects coming to our inland parks over the next couple of years.” For more information about Douglas County Parks or to visit Whistler’s Bend County Park, visit douglascountyor.gov/802/Parks. Via Douglas County