Staff Report

IN CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION NO. 26-5642 FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOGNIZING THE PROTECTION OF 20,000 ACRES OF HABITAT AND PARKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS Date: October 1, 2026 Department: Parks and Nature Meeting Date: October 1, 2026 Presenters: Jon Blasher, Parks and Nature Director Length: 20 minutes Prepared by: Beth Cohen, Funding Program Manager, Parks and Nature, Beth.Cohen@oregonmetro.gov ISSUE STATEMENT For 30 years, voters have repeatedly asked Metro to protect and restore this critical asset as our region grows--ensuring we have clean water, healthy �ish and wildlife habitat, and opportunities to experience nature for generations to come. Metro Parks and Nature’s mission is to improve water quality, protect �ish and wildlife habitat and help people connect with nature close to home. Thanks to the region investing in nature over the past three decades, Metro protects and stewards 20,000 acres of parks and natural areas that it owns, is under contract to own, or manages. Metro partners with Tribes, conservation partners, and local, state and federal park and natural area providers and managers in and beyond the region, in the acquisition and stewardship of public land. This milestone is an important moment to celebrate the regional collaboration that began with the regional greenspaces master plan as well as to look ahead to the ongoing work required to steward this growing portfolio. ACTION REQUESTED Approve Resolution No. 26-5642, for the purpose of recognizing the protection of 20,000 acres of habitat and parks for future generations. IDENTIFIED POLICY OUTCOMES Council direction helps determine Metro Parks and Nature’s role in the region as well as the values governing how we provide services and measure progress. Metro has established a core role in the region’s parks and nature system as a land protector, park provider and funder, with a unique scale and location of investments. BACKGROUND Metro’s growing portfolio of protected lands is a story of bond measure success and continued collaboration with the region’s park providers since 1995. Since the City of Portland transferred Smith and Bybee Wetlands to Metro in 1990, Metro has added three nature parks each decade and has grown its portfolio of parks and natural areas from 8,000 acres to 20,000 acres. This portfolio has grown over time as Metro has ful�illed voters’ direction in implementing the 1995, 2006 and 2019 bond measures. Metro bonds and levies work together to improve water quality, protect �ish and wildlife habitat and help people connect with nature close to home. In 1995, 2006 and 2019, voters approved bond measures to buy land, protect water and wildlife, restore natural areas and improve access to nature. Voters made a further investment in the day-to-day funding needed to take care of these beautiful places by passing a local-option levy in 2013, renewing it in 2016 and 2022. Metro’s current portfolio includes about 12,000 acres of natural areas protected for nature �irst and foremost and offer informal entry without developed infrastructure, much like the national forests. Metro invests in ongoing restoration activities at these natural areas at any given time for ecological bene�it. Metro's portfolio also includes roughly 6,500 acres of developed parks, boat ramps and historic cemeteries that provide important community gathering spaces and opportunities to connect with nature. The cost of maintaining parks and natural areas, from trail repairs to habitat restoration to restroom cleaning, continues to rise. Like other park providers across the region, Metro is working to keep up with demand on developed sites like Oxbow and Blue Lake Regional Parks in a budget-constrained environment, while also trying to stay ahead of evolving land management challenges like extreme weather, invasive species and the risk of wild�ire. In the 2019 Parks and Nature Bond Measure (2019 Bond Measure), the region’s voters made a historic investment in Metro’s system of parks and natural areas, prioritizing outcomes of climate resilience, equity and access. To date, the 2019 Bond Measure has delivered signi�icant outcomes for the region, protecting approximately 2000 new acres of habitat, increasing access to nature by adding to and improving Metro destination sites and awarding over $100 million in grants and local share. The levy, last passed by the voters in 2022, supports the meaningful achievements from the 2019 Bond Measure and our ongoing commitments. The current levy, which needs to be renewed by the voters every �ive years, will expire in June 2028. Council has directed staff to prepare for a levy measure in 2027 and explore impacts of renewing the levy at the current rate or increasing the levy slightly to keep up with growing costs.