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Volunteers

Three volunteers wait to greet visitorsIf you're enthusiastic, enjoy working with people and want to protect parks, then you might want to be a volunteer!

Volunteer park hosts inform visitors, register campers, assist at entrance stations, conduct customer comment surveys, open and close parks, pick up litter, perform minor maintenance and support interpretive programs. Volunteer hosts live on site and inform Park Rangers about emergencies or visitor complaints. In return, RV sites with full hookups are provided. Current Corps of Engineers openings are listed on Volunteer.gov.

Natural Resource Volunteers assist the Corps throughout the year with natural resource management activities. Volunteers are often recruited from the community for special events such as: Earth Day, SOLV Beach and Riverside Clean-Up, Down By the Riverside and National Public Lands Day. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church members, school groups, and other community groups have helped with litter clean-ups, trail work, non-native plant removal, habitat improvement and tree planting. If you live within commuting distance, feel free to reach out to your local Project to inquire about current opportunities.

How to volunteer

Willamette Valley:
James Blakely, 541-942-5631

Rogue River Basin:
Jesse Brownlee, 541-878-1081

Bonneville Lock and Dam
(Columbia River):
Meg Sleeper, 541-228-2634

The Dalles Lock and Dam
(Columbia River):
Travis Bitters, 541-506-8471

John Day & Willow Creek Dams
(Columbia River):
Greg Volkman, 541-739-1071

Volunteer Clearinghouse

Volunteer.gov links prospective volunteers with volunteer opportunities with all federal agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific Northwest and around the country.

Visit https://www.volunteer.gov/s/ for more information.

By the numbers ...

650

Volunteers in 2020

17,468+

Hours worked by volunteers

5

Operating projects

$475,150+

Savings to the Corps

 

Volunteers can earn annual passes

The Corps of Engineers has established a volunteer pass program, recognizing volunteers who have served a minimum of 100 hours at Corps-managed areas. Volunteers who reach this milestone receive an Annual Day Use Pass, which waives all day use fees at Corps parks nationwide. This token of appreciation helps show our gratitude for the selfless service of our volunteers.

Volunteers can accumulate hours toward a pass at multiple Corps projects; volunteer hours will be verified and entered by the project volunteer coordinator into a centralized database. Volunteers will be individually eligible for a free Annual Day Use Pass from the local project where they completed their 100th hour. Only one Annual Day Use Pass may be earned per volunteer per year.

Additionally, volunteers who serve for 250 hours or more are eligible for a free inter-agency "America the Beautiful" Volunteer Pass that is valid at most federal public lands. In addition to being valid for day use fees at Corps of Engineers parks, this pass is valid and recognized by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation. (Benefits vary based on agency policies, verify with those agencies prior to arrival.)