Newell Creek Canyon in Oregon City will soon be welcoming visitors.
Two recent reports show that Metro is delivering on its promises to voters for parks and natural areas.
One report outlines how the regional government agency has invested money from the voter-approved 2006 natural areas bond measure. Money from the bond measure is designated for land acquisition, allocations to local governments for park improvement projects and acquisitions, and Nature in Neighborhoods grants for community groups, nonprofits and local governments. The 2014 report to the Natural Areas Program Performance Oversight Committee says that "each of the three primary components of the program continues to achieve material gains towards realizing the goals of the bond measure."
The second report outlines how Metro invested money in the first year of the parks and natural areas levy that voters approved in 2013. The money went toward restoration and maintenance, park improvements, conservation education and volunteer programs, community grants, equity initiatives and programs to help people connect with nature.