The Story Behind Protect Heritage Parks

Bob & Crystal Rilee Park is more than just a beautiful public park. It represents one family's extraordinary gift to the people of the Chehalem Park & Recreation District—and the promise that gift would be preserved for future generations.

Nestled on approximately 325 acres atop Parrett Mountain, the property is rich in Oregon history. For generations, it served as a working agricultural landscape and was home to historic equestrian trails, many of which date back more than a century and were established by some of the area's earliest pioneer families. In 2014, the Crystal Dawn Smith Rilee Foundation transferred the property to the Chehalem Park & Recreation District for just $280,000—a fraction of its value—to ensure this remarkable landscape would remain a place where future generations could experience its agricultural heritage, equestrian traditions, natural beauty, and peaceful open space.

For years, the park fulfilled that vision.

Then questions arose about changing how portions of the park would be used.

Proposals to reintroduce high-speed mountain biking onto the park's narrow, winding trails generated significant concern among many hikers, equestrians, neighbors, and longtime users of the property. These trails include steep grades, blind corners, and limited sight distances, creating concerns about conflicts between bicycles, horses, hikers, families, and pets. Many residents believed those proposed uses were inconsistent with both the historic character of the property and the expectations surrounding its donation.

At the same time, volunteers from the equestrian community invested thousands of dollars in materials, equipment, and countless hours of labor to improve the trail system. Their work installed all-weather footing that made many of the trails accessible year-round for hikers and equestrians while helping reduce erosion and long-term maintenance needs. What had once been trails that frequently became unusable during the wet season became a community asset enjoyed throughout the year.

The debate surrounding Bob & Crystal Rilee Park ultimately became about something much larger than one park or one recreation activity.

It raised a simple but important question:

If a family donates a remarkable piece of land to the public with the expectation that it will remain true to its historic purpose, should future governing boards be able to fundamentally change that purpose?

Many residents believe the answer is no.

That is why the Protect Heritage Parks Initiative was created.

This initiative is not about one park. It is not about one board. And it is not about one generation.

It establishes lasting protections for qualifying Rural Heritage Park properties throughout the Chehalem Park & Recreation District so that future boards—regardless of who serves—must honor the historic purpose of these extraordinary lands.

As Oregon continues to experience increasing pressure for intensive development, including industrial projects, large-scale commercial uses, data centers, utility infrastructure, and other developments that can permanently change rural landscapes, protecting donor intent becomes more important than ever.

Families who choose to leave a lasting gift to the community should know that their vision will not simply depend on who happens to be serving on the CPRD Board decades from now.

That's why we're gathering signatures.

Not to revisit the past.

But to protect the promise made to future generations.