Join Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder this Saturday to celebrate a new nature corridor in North Portland – made possible in part by Metro's Nature in Neighborhoods grant program.
An open house and used book sale will highlight the Baltimore Woods project, an effort to protect 30 acres of undeveloped land between the Cathedral Park neighborhood and the Willamette River.
Advocates got a good start this summer, when the City of Portland purchased three parcels just north of Cathedral Park, totaling one acre. A $158,000 Metro grant went toward the total cost of about $475,000.
The properties will help protect rare oak trees and enhance the nature experience for bicyclists, walkers and joggers who will someday use this section of the Willamette River Greenway Trail envisioned along the adjacent street. City agencies, land trusts, nonprofit organizations and Metro have come together to promote restoration and long-term stewardship in the Baltimore Woods corridor.
Metro's Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants reward innovative approaches to balancing development and conservation and improving ecology in urban areas. Since the program began in 2008, Metro has handed out a total of $3.3 million – including the Baltimore Woods grant, in the most recent round of awards. Capital grants are funded by Metro’s voter-approved 2006 natural areas bond measure.
The Baltimore Woods open house and book sale will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services water lab adjacent to Cathedral Park, at 6543 N. Burlington St. Guests can learn about Baltimore Woods, purchase used books to support the project and watch a historical reenactment of the Lewis and Clark expedition.