metro's natural area program - soll
TRANSCRIPT
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Metro’s Natural Area ProgramStewardship lessons from 20 years of building
from the ground up
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Zero to 16,000 acres in 20 years teaches some lessons
• Program history• Challenge of land
management• Cost and funding
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Greenspaces Master Plan, 1992
Formally adopted by the Metro Council
Supported via resolution by majority of cities and counties in the Metro region
Laid out a vision of a system of connected parks, trails and natural areas
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1995 and 2006 Natural Areas Bond Measures
$363 million in total:
– $279 million for regional natural areas
– $69 million local share
– $15 million capital grant fund (2006 only)
Did not address management!!!
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Metro Parks and Natural Areas1990 - 2012
Acre
sx
Greenspaces Master Plan
Metro parks and natural areas 1990-2012
Bond Program 2
Metro management of Smith and Bybee Wetlands
Multnomah County transfer/ Bond Program 1
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Over 400 acquisitions
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A diverse portfolio of 16,000 acres
Nature parks (24%)
Cemeteries (0.5%)
Recreational facilities (4%)
Natural areas (72%)
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Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area
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Mount Talbert Nature Park
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Graham Oaks Nature Park
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1000 acres on the Sandy River
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That was the easy part!
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175 sites: 0.5 to 1200 acres
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Ecological Challenges
• Invasive species• Altered hydrology• Forest management• Replacing lost diversity
– getting plants, seeds• Direct human impacts• Impacts of past
management
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• Subject knowledge• Taxa knowledge• Prescribed fire• Herbicides• Heavy equipment• Farming / farm leases• Monitoring• Engineering• Legal: land use, rental, contracts, boundaries
Knowledge challenges
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Informal trail Trail in fragile soil
Poorly constructed demand trail
Unauthorized bridge
And don’t forget people
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Oxbow Regional Park
And don’t forget surprises
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Oxbow Regional Park
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Paying for it.
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Volunteers are great but…..
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Not all restoration can be done by volunteers
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Scale changes everything
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RestorationOak restoration
We’ve planted (and cared for!) nearly 2 million trees and shrubs
• Site preparation: mow, till, spray, auger• Planting: planting, staking, tubing in cold weather • 3-5 years of follow-up: spot spray, mow, mulch
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Tree planting
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The cost of waiting
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The nitty-gritty – cost per acre*
Total restoration cost per acre
Annual maintenance cost per acre following
restorationPrairie $7,970 $300Closed canopy forest $5,680 $50Riparian forest $5,500 $50Shrubland $4,700 $50Woodland $1,900 $100Savanna $1,370 $300Emergent wetland $630 $25
* Many assumptions
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How Metro pays for management• Funds from the bond program do not
provide for long-term management• Metro funds management from
operation budgets and grants• Total program budget equates to > $200
per acre – but much is not land focused• Maximum total non-grant on the
ground $ for Natural Areas has been around $450,000 ($30/acre)
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Until funding is solved• Focus on highest priority habitats• Protect functions tied to key outcomes• Accept many acres will be in poor condition• Try and protect experienced staff to develop and manage projects
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A long-term strategy is needed
Metro has relied on
• Operating budget• Temporary fees on services• Now exploring local tax levy (temporary)
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Permanent funding even at a modest level will allow more of this
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Instead of this