Protecting Urban Habitat

With leadership from the Audubon Society of Portland, CLF's Natural Resources Working Group helped pass Metro’s Nature in the Neighborhoods Initiative, which provides new environmental protections for 10,000 acres of unprotected urban habitat, and $1 million in seed funding for restoration, green development and a new habitat-monitoring program. The initiative also establishes base standards that guide development away from habitat in sensitive riparian areas, removes local government barriers to habitat-friendly development and ensures the region's density goals are not an excuse for developers or local governments to destroy habitat.

Using data and preliminary results from the CLF Regional Equity Atlas Project, Audubon Society of Portland bolstered its arguments for the location of a new segment of the 40-Mile Loop Trail away from a sensitive area in Smith & Bybee Lakes Natural Area currently occupied by a Bald Eagle. Audubon was able to clarify parks accessibility issues using the Atlas data and provide an alternative route proposal that avoids the eagle habitat and still provide better access to the area for the neighborhood.

Protecting Kelley Creek

The CLF Natural Resources Working Group helped shape the Pleasant Valley Plan District, and successfully integrated very strong land use protections for Kelley Creek. Pleasant Valley is going to be the first new community in greater Portland that tests our most forward-thinking planning ideas for complete communities.

Creating Low-Income Housing

CLF collaborates with Community Development Network, Community Alliance of Tenants, and the City Club of Portland in leading Affordable Housing NOW!, a growing movement of individuals and organizations acting to address the Portland metropolitan region's affordable housing shortage and the devastating impact it has on our families and communities. In 2005, Affordable Housing NOW! successfully advocated for $2 million from the City of Portland for investment in new low-income housing.

Using data and preliminary results from the CLF Regional Equity Project, CLF members, Clackamas Community Land Trust and Portland Community Land Trust, developed The Regional Smart Growth Community Land Trust Homebuyer Program. It is a $4 million program that will bring 60 units into trust over 3 years for first-time homebuyers, 30 for PCLT and 30 for CCLT, in neighborhoods where low-income residents have been displaced because of rising housing costs.

Creating More Parks AND More Affordable Housing

The City of Portland adopted a revised Parks system development charge (a fee that partially offsets the costs associated with housing development for needed parks services) that included all three of CLF’s key recommendations. The adopted legislation increased the fee to the level we proposed; created an exemption for affordable housing development; and will explore further the idea of charging SDCs to commercial development in recognition of the use of parks services by employers and their employees.