Dorris Ranch

Exciting news! YOUR park and recreation district was named a finalist for the 2026 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This places Springfield among the nation’s leading park and recreation systems. In its 82-year history, Willamalane has won the Gold Medal Grand Plaque in 2016 and 1986, and has been a finalist for the award eight other times. The 2026 Grand Plaque winner will be announced at the National Recreation and Park Association Conference in September. Read more at willamalane.org/blog

The orchards at Dorris Ranch are scheduled to close Tuesday, April 28, through Thursday, April 30, for orchard and vegetation management using Reckon. Only the orchards will be closed at this time, and other areas of the park will be accessible. This work is weather-dependent, and dates may change. Learn more at willamalane.org/dorris

Willamalane has referred a measure to the May 19, 2026, ballot so voters can decide what they’d like to see from the district going forward. So, why now?
For many years, the district has maintained a balanced budget, with revenues outpacing expenses. However, in the last two budget years, the district’s expenses outpaced revenues. Contributing expenses include increased demand for services, facilities, and parks, rising costs of goods, services, and labor, limitations of current revenue streams, and impacts from the pandemic and the ice storm, which depleted reserve funds.
To address this gap in revenue and expenses, Willamalane reduced its annual budget by over $1 million in the last year. Since then, the district has also:
- Reorganized all staff to increase efficiency, including eliminating vacant administrative and leadership positions
- Discontinued some recreation programs
- Reduced budgets for materials and services

The proposed levy would help bridge funding gaps to preserve current levels of service. The district would continue to seek additional revenue strategies to support long-term sustainability and close budget gaps. For FAQs and more information, visit willamalane.org/levy

*Edit to add: Assessed value is different than market value. You can find your property's assessed value using the tool at willamalane.org/levy

Dorris Ranch is scheduled to close Tuesday, April 7, through Wednesday, April 8, for orchard and vegetation management using Rekon. During the closure, Dorris Ranch, the orchards, and a portion of the Middle Fork Path extending to the Quarry Creek picnic area will be closed to the public. This treatment is part of a series of closures to manage vegetation and treat the Road Orchard for Eastern Filbert Blight. This work is weather-dependent, and dates may change. Learn more at willamalane.org/dorris

Willamalane has referred a measure to the May 19, 2026, ballot. If passed, the measure would authorize a new property tax that would help pay for current park and recreation operations, including park safety, recreation programs, and wildfire prevention efforts. The proposed levy would help bridge funding gaps to preserve current levels of service. If not passed, programs and services would not be provided as proposed and property taxes would not be increased.

This is the first time the district has sought a local option levy to fund general operations since the district's permanent tax rate was established in 1997. For FAQs and more information, visit willamalane.org/levy

Dorris Ranch is scheduled to close this Thursday, March 26, through Friday, March 27. During the closure, Dorris Ranch, the orchards, and a portion of the Middle Fork Path extending to the Quarry Creek picnic area will be closed to the public. This treatment is part of a series of closures to manage vegetation and treat the Road Orchard for Eastern Filbert Blight. This work is weather-dependent, and dates may change. Learn more at willamalane.org/dorris