Natural Legacy

When I think of Portland, I think “Green.”

Driving in from eastern Oregon or landing at PDX, the vibrant Green of Portland’s tree-covered hills and tree-lined streets says you are home again. Our greenness isn’t just about the land we are lucky enough to live upon, it is also the legacy of over a hundred years of Portlanders setting aside land for parks and wildlife as well as adopting policies to ensure that Portland remains a verdant and healthy place to live – for people and all creatures.

Where would we be without: 

• Forest Park (5100 acres of refuge and adventure)

• The Willamette and Columbia Rivers (Salmon in downtown! But still superfund sites needing cleaning up)

• Sauvie Island (farmland and wildlife areas just outside of town)

• Oaks Bottom Wildlife Area (once slated for infill and condos)

• Smith and Bybee Lakes (one of the largest urban wetlands in US)

• Land use planning and Natural Area bond measures (smart development includes greenspaces, tree and stream protection)

• Your favorite neighborhood park and natural area!

Portland’s Greenness is pretty special and is a major attractor for businesses, people, tourists, and wildlife. And it is here because Portlanders organized and advocated to protect what is special about this region.

But, there is more to be done to protect our natural legacy and fix some of the mistakes of the past.

• Prepare for and do what we can to prevent climate change’s impacts on our human and natural communities, including wildfire and flooding;

• Clean up the industrial pollution from the past and prevent new contamination from industry and the use of dangerous chemicals;

• Be proactive again in promoting transportation options like cycling and transit, as well as use green practices in buildings and streets;

• Protect remaining natural areas like Ross Island and Hayden Island; and

• Green our neighborhoods and streets with bioswales, tree planting, green roofs, and other features to green buildings.

• Address historic inequities that have resulted in situations where our most vulnerable communities too often have not benefited from our environmental programs.

We can do better by looking at City operations and policies from a holistic overview. We need to connect decisions around development, public utilities, and natural resource protection rather than keep them in silos where one bureau doesn’t work with others although they share responsibility for the health of the City.