PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION AND FOREST PARK CONSERVANCY ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT FOR MANAGEMENT OF FOREST PARK
Posted: July 19th, 2010 3:15 PM
(Portland, OR) – Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC) announced a new partnership agreement that enhances their joint efforts to restore and maintain Forest Park, the city's largest natural area.
The agreement, which will be presented at City Council on July 21, defines the legal relationship between PP&R and the Conservancy and streamlines the development of the yearly work plan for the park and clarifies the roles of the two organizations in ongoing advocacy efforts.
The agreement was one of five management initiatives that Parks Commissioner Nick Fish announced on June 17 to address ecological and recreational concerns about the park. The initiatives, which focused on park management, recreation use, and stewardship, also include a recreation user survey, a desired future condition report, and the addition of a dedicated park ranger for enforcement.
"The Forest Park Conservancy is a key partner and a tireless advocate and steward of the park," noted Commissioner Fish. "They have enormous strength in terms of fundraising, advocacy, and volunteer coordination. This agreement is an important step in strengthening our partnership for the benefit of Forest Park."
The partnership agreement focuses on several key areas, including defining mutual goals, collaborating on communication efforts, leveraging each organization's assets and strengths, and jointly seeking new funding streams for the support of the natural area.
Michelle Bussard, the Executive Director for the Forest Park Conservancy, said "the spirit of the agreement acknowledges the state of the park and commits PP&R and FPC to work together and with others to restore and improve this important regional asset."
Agreeing that Forest Park is at risk, PP&R and FPC share the mutual goal of ensuring a healthy and sustainable regional resource. Knowing that a multi-year financial investment is crucial to the health of the park, the organizations will work cooperatively, along with many partners, to restore the park and balance the ecological needs with recreational uses.
As the daily maintenance and long term management of the park continues, the organizations will work together to develop strategies and find the dedicated funding needed to address the research, capital projects, invasive removal and the restoration backlog. They will continue to move the park toward the desired outcomes described in the 1995 Forest Park Natural Resources Management Plan (FPNRMP).
Each organization brings complementary strengths to the important work of restoring and maintaining the park. FPC's strengths include fundraising, marketing, outreach, conservation education, advocacy, volunteer coordination, and trail work. PP&R's strengths include overall park management, including recreational use, maintenance, ecology, forestry, restoration, policy development, and the day-to-day and capital project management.
- PP&R Friends Groups -
Portland Parks & Recreation relies on over 100 Friends groups, such as the Forest Park Conservancy, who help take care of parks and natural areas, collaborate with our sports programs, support our arts and recreation programs, and provide other varied and essential services to our park and recreation system.
###
Replies to this message do not go back to the sender.
Go to http://FlashAlert.net/login.html to change or delete these messages.
