A recent natural area acquisition by Metro provides a critical link in the regional government's habitat preservation areas in Washington County.
Between the Portland metro area and the Coast Range, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and Chehalem Ridge Natural Area are two undeveloped spaces that provide vital habitat to a variety of species. However, east-west habitat connectivity between the two sites is lacking, limiting the ability of wildlife to move freely from one to the other.
With the latest acquisition of the Natural Areas Program, 147 acres of farmland between Chehalem Ridge and the Tualatin River refuge, Metro hopes to expand the wildlife corridor in the southern Tualatin Valley.
"The longer a habitat is isolated, the more species it loses," said Lori Hennings, a senior natural resource scientist in Metro's Natural Areas Program. "Our goal here is to establish a swath of land to connect existing natural areas, which is particularly crucial for mammals and amphibians. This connectivity is necessary for maintaining a slow flow of genetics and animals back and forth."
At 147 acres, the property is a heavy hitter for Metro's goal of protecting tracts of land and connecting them.
"In a single acquisition, this property secures roughly half of a habitat corridor linking Metro's 1,200-acre Chehalem Ridge Natural Area with the Tualatin River floodplain, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge’s Wapato Lake unit and other Metro natural areas below," said Natural Areas program director Kathleen Brennan-Hunter in a memo.
While the property is agricultural, Hennings said it is a valuable candidate for restoration due to its size, the fact that it contains water resources, and its proximity to established natural areas.
"You might look at this land and say, 'It's old farmland, there's not a lot of habitat there right now. Why would Metro buy that?'" said Hennings. "Well, that's why. We want to retain what habitat remains there and increase it. This acquisition is enormous in terms of wildlife connectivity."
The $1.2 million purchase was funded by the Natural Areas Bond Measure. Approved by voters in 2006, it dedicated $227 million to natural area acquisition across the region to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for people to engage with nature.