PDX buys nearby forest

By Jake Bartman///Staff Writer

The City of Portland is beginning to move forward with plans to turn the forest to the north of campus into a natural area with trails and other additions for outdoors enthusiasts.

The River View Natural Area, as it is referred to by Portland’s Bureau of Parks and Recreation, is the area popular with students especially because of its myriad tree houses and fire pits at which to gather on warm nights.

Rumors have circulated recently about the future of the land after workers began to clear most of the non-native species from the area and started to clear trails. Workers have also begun to remove the tree houses that make the area special to students.

The 146-acre forest was purchased last May from River View Cemetery by the City of Portland. This purchase of one of the largest undeveloped areas in the city was a $11.25 million transaction funded by numerous governmental agencies related to conservation, including a grant from the state.

The City Council approved the purchase largely due to the forest’s proximity to the Willamette River watershed. The land has seven tributaries running through it that connect with the Willamette.

Proponents of the purchase noted that they hoped to protect the hillside from development that could pollute the watershed. This idea was supported especially by members of the Bureau of Environmental Services’ Grey to Green initiative, a program started in 2008 that focuses especially on watershed health and protection.

The forest is expected to be a fully accessible natural area by 2016, when operating costs to the city are expected to reach $255,000 a year. Officials cited an appraisal of the land that placed its worth at $2.75 million dollars more than the amount for which it was purchased in defense of the plan, though it was only mildly contested amongst city residents.

The Portland Bureau of Parks and Recreation will be responsible for the land’s management. Future plans also include the development of a habitat management plan that will protect native species in the area.
Portland has long struggled to protect its properties from invasive species that have threatened many of the local ecosystems, so observers can expect a carefully regulated natural area that will most likely be hostile to moonlit forest parties in the future.