A 6-acre addition will help fill the gap between Cathedral and Pier parks in North Portland
The walking, jogging and cycling path that links communities along the Willamette River will expand in North Portland, onto property that Metro and City of Portland Parks & Recreation and the Bureau of Environmental Services collaborated to purchase. A 6-acre addition to the Willamette River Greenway will allow the city to build more than one-third mile of trail north of the St. Johns Bridge, at North Catlin Avenue and North Decatur Street.
The land was purchased Monday for $1.19 million, split equally among three sources: regional funds from Metro's voter-approved 2006 natural areas bond measure, Portland's local allocation from the Metro bond measure, and the city's Grey to Green initiative.
Metro and the city have made significant progress this summer in the Baltimore Woods Connectivity Corridor, the name community advocates gave a missing piece of the greenway between Cathedral and Pier parks. Less than half a mile from the new acquisition, the city recently purchased a cluster of three properties totaling one acre – supported by a combination of funding, including a grant from Metro's Nature in Neighborhoods program, the city's share of natural area bond funds and the city's Grey to Green program.
"By combining our energy and resources, the Metro Council, the city and community supporters are making a real difference for North Portland. Today's investments lay the groundwork for many wonderful walks and bike rides," said Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder, who represents District 5. He celebrated progress in the area on Saturday, at a community event hosted by Friends of Baltimore Woods.
"This acquisition is a win-win for the community," said City of Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish. "Through our partnership with Metro and BES, we've been able to preserve an important natural area and add a vital piece of the Willamette River Greenway trail. The timing is perfect, as Parks will be working with the community in the near future on a Master Plan for the entire trail."
Metro allotted about $445,000 in regional transportation funds for the city to plan a section of the greenway, from the Steel Bridge to the Columbia River Slough. There is not an exact timeline for construction, but the city anticipates moving forward in the Baltimore Woods area in the next few years.
City plans call for "re-greening" the new acquisition in conjunction with trail development – potentially restoring rare and valuable white oak habitat similar to that found elsewhere in the Baltimore Woods corridor. This habitat could support diverse wildlife such as the slender-billed nuthatch, Western wood-pewee and Western gray squirrel.
"I'm particularly pleased that this acquisition protects a stand of white oak trees and rare species of wildlife associated with oak woodland habitat," said Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who is in charge of the Bureau of Environmental Services. "This is a tremendous opportunity to preserve a portion of the oak woodland that was once so prevalent in the Willamette Valley,"
As the greenway expands through North Portland, it will serve residents and workers in the St. Johns town center, connecting them with central Portland and beyond.
"Metro touches on many parts of people's everyday lives, from how they get to work to where they play and how they connect with nature," said Metro Council President David Bragdon. "It's nice to pull those pieces together with projects like the Willamette River Greenway."
The Willamette River Greenway is one of 27 areas protected by Metro's natural areas bond measure, which was approved by voters in 2006. The program funds land acquisition and capital improvements that protect water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, enhance trails and wildlife corridors and provide greater connections to nature in urban areas throughout the Portland metropolitan area.