Natural Area Maint

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Breadcrumb: Service Area Summaries > Public Works > Portland Parks & Recreation > Natural Area Maint

City of Portland Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget Public Works > Portland Parks & Recreation > Natural Area Maint Natural Area Maint Budget Revenues by Fund 2023-24 Actuals 2024-25 Actuals 2025-26 Revised Budget 2026-27 Proposed External Revenues $53,339 $14,700 $12,328 $84,205 General Fund $4,418 $3,573 $3,500 $0 Grants Fund $48,921 $11,127 $0 $73,725 Portland Parks $0 $0 $8,828 $10,480 Memorial Fund Internal Revenues $4,891,134 $4,652,302 $7,663,490 $6,705,284 General Fund $4,891,134 $4,652,302 $7,369,172 $6,390,820 Portland Parks $0 $0 $294,318 $314,464 Memorial Fund Grand Total $4,944,473 $4,667,002 $7,675,818 $6,789,489 Program Expenses by Major Object Program expenses only include personnel, internal materials and services, external materials and services, and capital. 2023-24 Actuals 2024-25 Actuals 2025-26 Revised Budget 2026-27 Proposed Capital Outlay $0 $0 $100,000 $0 External Materials and $435,038 $545,520 $934,690 $923,776 Services Internal Materials and $458,293 $514,499 $609,040 $653,112 Services Personnel $3,141,248 $3,211,050 $6,047,801 $5,212,601 Grand Total $4,034,579 $4,271,069 $7,691,531 $6,789,489 Program Description and Goals Portland Parks & Recreation's (PP&R) Natural Area Maintenance program provides critical daily maintenance of Portland's natural areas and their facilities. This program stewards urban natural areas for wildlife, people and ecosystem health while providing sustainable access to nature. It protects natural areas, reduces community wildfire risk, and keeps natural areas healthy for wildlife 915

City of Portland Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget and future generations. Work is guided by the Natural Areas Standards of Care; goals are to steward natural areas and trails in public spaces that are healthy, safe, well-maintained and climate change resilient. The program removes trash, performs routine maintenance and repairs, clears brush and invasive species, maintains emergency access routes, plants native trees and improves wildlife habitat to support clean land, water and air. The portfolio includes about 8,000 acres across 90 natural areas and nature patch sites. The portfolio includes sites like Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and Forest Park and hundreds of bridges, culverts, boardwalks, signs, trailheads, restrooms, and other infrastructure that provide opportunities to experience nature locally. The Natural Area Maintenance program stewards and repairs 120 miles of soft surface trails to provide equitable access and support mental, emotional and physical wellness. It includes a Natural Areas Stewardship program that generates 37,000 volunteer hours annually and the Protect the Best Program, an innovative workforce development and vegetation management program that does wildfire risk reduction and treats healthy core habitat. It includes Renew Forest Park, a holistic approach to repairing and protecting the 5,200-acre forest that has an enormous impact on the regional ecosystem and local health. Services Natural area maintenance; Wildfire risk reduction; Invasive weed removal; Native tree & shrub planting; Daily care & cleaning; Fuel load reduction; Emergency response; Trail maintenance; Address vandalism, graffiti, dumping; Minor infrastructure repairs; Lead stewardship volunteers; Address climate impacts; Increase equitable nature access; Improve wildlife habitat; Stormwater management; Integrated pest management. Equity Impacts Natural areas serve diverse community members citywide. The program aligns equity outcomes with Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland and the Climate Emergency Workplan, which recognize that access to safe, well-maintained natural areas, trails and climate-resilient landscapes is not evenly distributed. The Program supports equity-related outcomes by providing nearby access to nature, reducing climate risks such as extreme heat, flooding, and wildfire, and maintaining safe conditions after storms. It tracks equity-related impacts through visitor feedback, service requests, and staff observations to understand where safety concerns, delayed maintenance, or reduced access may disproportionately affect communities with fewer nearby park options or greater climate vulnerability. It works with multi-age volunteers, including 120 partner groups serving racially and ethnically diverse communities. Workforce development components provide environmental career opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds. The program works within a complex regulatory framework including federal, which includes ensuring trail design is consistent with ADA Title II requirements. Changes to Program There were no substantial changes to this program in FY 2025-26. One external environmental factor that has changed is confirmation of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer in the Portland area. This factor increases operational complexity as outlined in the Natural Areas Addendum to the Emerald Ash Borer Response Plan. 916

Parent: Portland Parks & Recreation · PDF: pp. 915-916 ↗