Portland’s City Council got plenty of advice, but no consistent message, from people testifying Wednesday night about a plan to restore the North Reach of the Willamette River. Businesses worried about how much it will cost and urged the council to move slowly. Environmental groups said the time for action is now.
Running from downtown to the Columbia River, the North Reach is the industrial heart of the city. A busy harbor, generating billions of dollars worth of business, and providing some of the best paying jobs in Portland.
But it’s also something of an environmental mess. The North Reach has suffered from years of pollution and habitat degradation that put this stretch of the Willamette on the Superfund list. Endangered salmon, steelhead and other species either live here or migrate through the area.
The big sticking point of the North Reach River Plan is this – how much should companies pay to restore the river in exchange for allowing them to expand their businesses. The plan says that when a company develops part of the riverfront, it has to offset that by restoring an equal area of wildlife habitat, or by paying someone else to do it for them.
The idea of new fees or extra costs has businesses along the North Reach fighting hard against this part of the plan. While few of their comments at the hearing expressed outright opposition, they urged the council to move slowly and carefully.
Bill Wyatt of the Port of Portland called the plan a way to finance restoration on the back of new investment. He warned there could be a point where the costs of the plan became so high, the investment by business would stop, and if that happened so would the restoration. Wyatt also says there are jobs at stake. “Those are high wage blue collar jobs,” he says.
Jeff Smith, President of the local Longshore Union, says the 50 businesses along the North Reach support about 20,000 jobs, with an average income of $45,000. “It doesn’t make sense to adopt the plan,” he says, “when so many details haven’t been worked out.”
“We’ve Discussed This Thing To Death”
Environmental groups say it’s time for the city to move forward on the plan that’s been years in the making. “It’s time to move forward,” says Bob Sallinger with Portland Audubon. “We’ve discussed this thing to death.”
“If we compromise further, it’s not an improvement plan. It becomes a degradation plan.”
Travis Williams of Willamette Riverkeeper says the plan doesn’t ask too much of business. “Most of these companies have benefited from the Willamette and we’re asking them to give a little back.”
Adds Sallinger, if businesses don’t foot some of the bill then the costs of restoring the river falls on taxpayers.
Policy Now, Details Later
It was clear early on that the council isn’t going to vote on this anytime soon. Mayor Sam Adams offered some amendments he hoped would make the plan more acceptable to business. But not everyone on the council had time to review the changes.
Adams wants the council to move forward on the broad policy objectives, while leaving the details for later. He suggests giving city staff the remainder of the year to continue working on such items as how to calculate the fees, and identifying areas that could be restored.
“We agree on 90% of this,” says Commissioner Amanda Fritz, adding that it’s time to take that part of the it “off the table” and spend the rest of the year focusing on how to implement the plan.
The council will meet again to consider the North Reach River Plan on Wednesday, March 24 at 2pm.
For more information see: Portland Enviro Groups Rally For Willamette River Restoration Plan
