Cruise the Willamette downstream from central Portland and you’ll soon realize this is not the wild river our city founders knew. Shipping terminals, cargo vessels, scrapyards, oil tanks, warehouses and gazillions of imported cars line the riverbank. This area, as city officials like to describe it, is a working river. An important area for business and for jobs.
But it’s home to wildlife as well. Herons, sea lions, otters and fish spend some or all of their lives here. Fall salmon numbers in the upper Willamette system have been surprisingly robust, giving hope that the endangered fish might be making a comeback. For that to happen, salmon and steelhead have to migrate at least twice through the dirtiest section of the Willamette. The working part of the river. A Superfund site.
Soon, the Portland City Council will hold a public hearing on a plan to reconcile all these different demands. Two of Portland’s best known environmental groups, Willamette Riverkeeper and the Audubon Society, are concerned over industry attempts to weaken some of the environmental protections in the plan. Those industry objections led Mayor Adams to cancel a public hearing that was scheduled for last month. It could also be the reason why Thursday’s planned hearing was put off as well.
The North Reach River Plan
The so-called “North Reach” of the Willamette runs from downtown Portland near the Fremont Bridge to where the river meets the Columbia.
In typical Portland style, the plan for this area is designed so that there’s something in it for everyone.
For Business:
- The plan protects prime industrial property along the riverfront, calls for spending more public money on infrastructure such as rail and road access, and simplifies rules needed for permits.
For Recreation:
- Creates a Greenway trail on both sides of the river. They are already walking and biking trails through the area. But the city’s plan calls more adding more trail miles, changing some of the current routes, creating scenic viewpoints and adding more spots for people to access the trails.
For Wildlife:
- Sets aside some 21 areas along the river for wildlife habitat. If a business tries to expand or build a new facility along the riverbank, it has to mitigate for that by restoring an equal amount of riverbank somewhere else on its property. If for some reason that doesn’t work out, the business could restore wildlife habitat somewhere else on the river, or pay a fee to the city for doing it. Eventually the goal is to create a privately run mitigation bank.
Why Business Is Unhappy
Businesses located along the river are vigorously fighting the plan. Many of them are represented by the Working Waterfront Coalition. The members say the costs of mitigation, or the fees they have to pay, are way too high. Back in July, Schnitzer Steel told the Portland Business Journal that if they wanted to build a new $20 million dollar dock, the costs of mitigation would tack on an extra $2.7 million. The business community says this will halt or slow expansion, the wrong kind of move especially during a recession.
“We’re not insensitive to the economic realities out there,” says Travis Williams, Executive Director of Willamette Riverkeeper. But he’s skeptical about business claims as to how much they’ll have to pay. “How does this kill you,” he wants to know, “Are you sunk because of this fee you can pay out over time?”
The Needs Of Wildlife
No expects this section of the Willamette to be restored to it’s former glory. All sides that it really is a working river, and will remain that way into the foreseeable future. But Williams sees the plan as a way to get back some of what’s been lost. “How is doing the right thing, and asking a bit more, somehow the wrong thing to do? How much do we water these things down?”
There’s an increasing consensus that even setting aside a small amount of land for habitat can make a difference for wildlife. The 21 natural areas in the plan will help salmon as they migrate through the area. They’ll provide resting places for salmon and steelhead to stop and feed before moving upriver to their spawning grounds. Williams says, “The science is telling us that’s what they use, that’s what they need.”
To Have Your Say:
Until a public hearing is scheduled, you can submit written testimony to…
Council Clerk
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 140
Portland, OR 97204
Fax: (503) 823-4571
Email: kmoore-love@ci.portland.or.us
