Metro Council approved more than $2.5 million in funding this summer through the Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants program. Five projects in greater Portland received funding. The projects approved during this round focus on habitat restoration and community access to nature.
During the July 11 meeting, when the funding was approved, councilors responded positively to the projects.
Metro Councilor Christine Lewis said, “I’m excited by so many of these projects. Some of them are new to me, some feel like a long time coming.”
Nature in Neighborhoods is one of the six programs funded by the $475 million parks and nature bond passed by voters in 2019. Its capital grants program provides three-year grants to publicly owned capital projects. Capital projects (as opposed to programs or services) are projects that result in a tangible asset that provides longterm benefit, such as acquiring, developing, or restoring land or buildings accessible to the public .
The projects also must meet criteria listed in the 2019 bond, including advancing racial equity, preparing the region for climate change, and conducting meaningful community engagement.
Awarded projects
Wood Village Wetland Restoration
The City of Wood Village was awarded $250,000 to remove invasive species and restore native plantings to the 4.7-acre wetland area located at the southwest corner of Northeast Arata Road and Wood Village Boulevard as the first step in creating a new wetland park. The city worked with Lideres Naturales, Reynolds Community Transition Program, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council.
SE 7th and Sandy
Depave was awarded $784,366 to retrofit an over-paved street in Portland's Central Eastside to improve bike and pedestrian safety, manage stormwater and boost tree canopy. This project will create a public greenspace that will benefit thousands of low-income Portlanders. Depave worked on this project with PBOT, Portland BES, Prosper PDX, Zucker Eng. & Design, Knot Studio, KPFF, UWD PreBuild, GPT Construction, Ground Score, CEIC/Central Eastside Together, Friends of the Green Loop, Friends of Noise, Art Heaux Studio, Bike Loud, Better Block and Push Movement.
Riparian Forest Rescue
Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve and the City of Hillsboro were awarded $988,820 to increase access and connection to nature. The project will proactively restore and manage hundreds of acres of forested habitat to alleviate the negative impacts of the emerald ash borer on Oregon ash. Partners include Clean Water Services, Waste Management, I’m Hooked Inc., Centro Cultural, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, Friends of Trees, Tualatin River Keepers, Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Department of Forestry and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.
MHCC Campus Clean Water Retrofit
Mt. Hood Community College was awarded $260,000 to retrofit four parking lots to treat and/or retain stormwater, enhance and maintain the tree canopy in those lots, and engage with students and the community in monitoring and learning more about these improvements. MHCC worked in partnership with the City of Gresham and the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District.
All-Ages Play Amenity at Future Park on Heckman Lane
Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District was awarded $300,000 for a project that would scale up the nature-based play amenities at a new neighborhood park at Northwest Heckman Lane and Northwest 159th Avenue. The recreation district worked in conjunction with their Facilities Advisory Committee. The new play amenities will serve people of all ages.