CommissionerSam.com - Environmental Services

Tearing it up on Depaving Day

Guest Author — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:01:15 -0700

By Jenn Bildersee, BES

Depave at work

Bands played and concrete crumbled as the Towards Carfree Cities Conference kicked off last Monday with Depaving Day. With pry bars and shovels, 150 volunteers began the transformation of a 3000 square foot asphalt parking lot into a community greenspace.

The empty lot on the corner of N. Williams and Fargo Street is now on its way to becoming Fargo Gardens, a pilot project of the nonprofit Depave that will soon feature vegetables, fruit trees, native plants, and a patio. Depave’s mission is to inspire and promote the removal of unnecessary concrete and asphalt from urban areas.

In addition to providing a new community space, removal of the parking lot will reduce pollution and provide new bird and butterfly habitat. The completed site will also be used to educate the public about pavement removal and storm water management.

Two Bureau of Environmental Services programs helped to set the stage for Fargo Gardens. Planting materials, tools, rental equipment, and project coordination will be funded by a grant from the Community Watershed Stewardship Program, which supports community groups and citizens in their efforts to protect and enhance watersheds. The program recently won the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus Community Collaboration.

To ensure that there was no soil contamination on the soon-to-be garden, the Portland Brownfield Program provided environmental assessment.Commercial properties across the city receive support from the Portland Brownfield Program to assess and clean up contamination.

Now that the asphalt is gone, Fargo Gardens volunteers will begin site preparation and planting. Up-to-date information on progress and opportunities can be found at www.depave.org, and a video of Depaving Day is online at www.streetfilms.org.

BES Water Treatment Plant Taps into its own Renewable Energy

Lisa Libby — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:26:11 -0700

Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment PlantEveryday Portland's Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant produces over one million cubic feet of biogas, a natural by-product of the sewage treatment process. Now, the City of Portland can use more than two thirds of that biogas as fuel to generate electricity and heat for the treatment plant operations.

The city dedicated two of the plant's generators to biogas, which will generate 1.7 megawatts of electricity per day - enough to power 1,000 homes! That much electricity will supply about half of the treatment plant's daily energy needs. By reducing the amount of electricity the plant purchases, the city is able to recover the project costs in 12 to 15 years.

Most of the funding for the $8 million project comes from sewer user fees collected by Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services. Energy Trust of Oregon is also providing the city with a $362,000 cash incentive to offset project costs. The city will also use the Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit program to offset about 25% of the project costs.

At peak capacity, the co-generation facility will use about 70% of the treatment plant's daily production of biogas. Which means the facility will generate enough power to reduce the plant's annual electric bill by about 40%.

Wanted: Environmental Staff Associate (Summer Internship)

Lisa Libby — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:16:49 -0700

As Sam's Environmental Policy Director, I work on initiatives aimed to improve watershed health. It's intriguing and complex work and I'm looking for someone intelligent, passionate and motivated to lend a hand.

Required:

Interest in local environmental issues
Strong writing, research, critical thinking skills
Ability to provide general office support, as needed
Flexibility, adaptability, and a decent sense of humor

Desired:
Background/experience in Urban Planning, Environmental Policy, Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology, or Urban Studies

Timeframe:
3 month duration

Please submit:

Cover Letter (1 page)
Resume
Writing Sample (5 page Max.)

Deadline: June 30th, 2008

This is a volunteer position.

~Lisa Libby
Senior Policy Director

lisa.libby@ci.portland.or.us
(503 823-4045
(503) 823-3017 (FAX)

1221 SW 4th Ave., Rm. 220
Portland, OR 97204

Community Watershed Stewardship Program wins National Carter Award!

Lisa Libby — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:17:08 -0700

Community Watershed Stewardship Program partners receive their award from Jimmy and Rosalynn CarterPortland is host to active and concerned citizens willing to take responsibility for bettering our environment. Last week Portland State University and the Bureau of Environmental Services were nationally recognized for fostering this spirit and harnessing the reigns of environmental stewardship efforts through the Community Watershed Stewardship Program.

On June 3, 2008, the program accepted the first ever National-Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus Community Collaboration for "best practices." Providing grants to citizen and community groups city-wide, the program has been reshaping our urban landscape one project at a time.

To learn more about the Community Watershed Stewardship Program check out a recent blog highlighting the 2008 award recipients or check out a program map showcasing over 100 project sites that have received funding throughout the city of Portland.

Congratulations Community Watershed Stewardship Program Grantees!

Lisa Libby — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:54:15 -0700

The Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) is helping 17 local community groups to restore, enhance and protect Portland's watersheds through the Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP). The program awarded over $140,000 to groups that are greening paved areas, removing invasive species, planting trees, installing bioswales, painting murals, and much, much more. Check out the list below to learn more about the 2008 projects.

CWSP is a partnership between BES, Portland State University, and Americorps, to raise community awareness of and improve watershed health. The grants provide up to $10,000 to schools, churches, businesses and other community organizations for projects that protect and enhance watershed health at the local level.

2008 Community Watershed Stewardship Program Awardees

Depave Parking Lot Project
The group will replace 3,000 feet of asphalt located at N. Williams and Fargo Street with native plants, trees, bioswales and a patio area for group gatherings.

Eyes on the Slough Program
Eyes on the Slough, a community-based group through the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, will use funds to develop a data collection protocol for volunteer water monitors. In addition, funds will be used to purchase items to assist with the implementation of the program and support an Americorps project.

Kenilworth Church Stormwater Management Project
The grant helps transform their parking lot into a multi-use space for the church and community, with a green space, stormwater management and a playground area.

Lents Springwater Habitat Restoration Project
The grant helps the group continue restoring the Springwater Corridor by removing invasive plants and replacing concrete, gravel and asphalt with clean soil and native trees and shrubs.

Linnton Vegetated Infiltration Basin Project
The project will create a vegetated infiltration basin to store and treat stormwater runoff from the Linnton Community Center's property, parking lot and roof.

N/NE Minority Youth & Young Adults Connected to Community
The group will use the grant to perform maintenance and restoration of trails along the Columbia Slough.

NCNM Bioswales Initiative
The Environmental Action Committee will use the funding to develop plans to retrofit a campus parking lot for two bioswales.

Oaks Bottom Mural Project
Urban Greenspaces Institute will use the grant to revive a mural project, which has been on hold for 17 years, overlooking Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

PCC Sylvania Habitat Restoration Project
The Team will continue to restore the Sylvania Natural Area Park by removing invasives and planting native species. This will be the team's sixth CWSP grant.

Richmond Learning Lab Garden
The grant helps the Parent Teacher Association create a Learning Lab Garden, which will serve as an outdoor classroom and provide hands-on learning for over 500 students.

Stories of a Watershed
A partnership between Friends of Tryon Creek, Oregon Parks and Recreation and a volunteer Exhibit Committee will create a series of exhibits based on residents' stories about Tryon Creek. The exhibits aim to educate people and recruit volunteers to help with restoration efforts.

Tideman Johnson Stewardship Project
The Friends of Tideman Johnson will continue to remove invasive species and restore habitats along the Springwater Corridor Trail. Additionally, they plan to develop and enhance communication materials about the area and their efforts.

Trebol Community Ecoroof Project
Ecoroofs Everywhere LLC will use the funds to install an ecoroof and living wall at Trebol Mexican Restaurant and educate young people on ecoroofs and their local watersheds.

Tryon Creek Watershed Restoration Team Project
The goal of this project is to assess, prioritize, and achieve restoration success on the highest value private projects in the watershed through watershed mentorship. They grant will help with administrative and outreach costs.

Vestal Greenspace & Plaza
The students, teachers, and parents at Vestal will transform their asphalt playground into a greenspace to increase livability, create an outdoor learning space and improve watershed health..

Water Conservation for Watershed Health Workshops
Community Energy Project will use the grant to support the start-up and establishment of the Water Conservation for Watershed Health Program. The program will reach out to the community and educate residents on wise water use and how it is connected to stormwater management.

Westside Naturescaping & Habitat Restoration
The Oregon Humane Society will use CWSP funds to continue their work on improving and restoring the wetlands on and adjacent to their property by removing invasive species, installing irrigation and planting native species.

Gardening the Smart, Non-Invasive Way

Lisa Libby — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:09:04 -0700

Gardeners and backyard enthusiasts, check out this new, free book, GardenSmart Oregon. It provides helpful information and photos of invasive plants, along with native and ornamental plant alternatives that can be planted in their place.

While Oregon's weather and rich soil allow us to grow many plants from around the world, some of these plants can cause serious harm by spreading outside the garden. Invasive plants can threaten water quality, wildlife and our economy by crowding out native plants, increasing erosion and competing with agriculture crops. GardenSmart Oregon can help gardeners choose plants that are attractive and environmentally friendly.

GardenSmart Oregon is a partnership of OPB's Stop the Invasion campaign, Bureau of Environmental Services, and many others. Stop the Invasion is focused on protecting Oregon from all invasive species, and GardenSmart Oregon focuses on garden plants. Check out OPB's website for more information on both projects.

An electronic version of GardenSmart Oregon can be found here. Hard copies are available at BES, The Nature Conservancy, and other locations throughout Oregon.

Portland: National Sustainability Center

The Office — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:57:11 -0700

On April 15th, Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Sam Adams brought together leaders of environmental nonprofits, businesses committed to sustainability, institutions of higher learning, and government agencies to discuss an exciting development for the City of Portland.

Sam and Dan recognize that Portland and Portlanders are early adopters of and innovators in the field of sustainability. From renewable energies to watershed management to alternative transportation, the city and its people are devoted to sustainable lifestyles, business practices, and urban development.

Culminating in the April 15th meeting, Sam and Dan are attempting to bring local players in this field together to harbor collaboration and forward thinking and to develop the potential for Portland to be the national hotbed for sustainability. The conversation resulted in a communal motivation to get the ball rolling on developing a physical Center for Sustainability and collaborating efforts on making Portland the City that Works Sustainably, Forever.

As was discussed on April 15th, the center will act as a local sustainability focal point, help create a long-term sustainability road-map for Portland, and encourage sincere public awareness and involvement in Portland's sustainable development. It could act as an umbrella organization, facilitating collaboration and eliminating inefficiencies caused by parallel efforts in local sustainability initiatives, while showcasing all that Portland individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies are contributing to the field. It will centralize our diverse, innovative efforts in a way that promotes cross-fertilization, more weighty decision-making power, and greater visibility in the national and international arena.

Sam hopes to move forward quickly with plans to bring diverse players together with fresh ideas and sincere contributions. The next step is committing these collaborators to contribute their ideas and efforts to a working group, which will move forward with policy, program, and physical development. Take a look at the article in the Portland Business Journal and please contribute your own ideas on what this center would look like and how to help Portland be to Sustainability what Hollywood is to Film.

Grey to Green: A Comprehensive Approach to Clean Rivers and Watershed Health

Sam Adams — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:51:14 -0700

Portland is blessed with abundant rainfall. With it, our city grows lush and beautiful. But all of this rain comes with a challenge: our annual average of 37 inches creates a staggering 20 billion gallons of stormwater runoff every year.

Without proper management, stormwater runoff can damage our watersheds, rivers, and streams. The good news is that Portland is well past the days of simply funneling stormwater into pipes that release fast-moving, dirty water directly into once-pristine rivers and streams.

In 2005, City Council embraced a holistic approach to watershed health in adopting the Portland Watershed Management Plan. With this new strategy and thanks to on-going help and a steady application of pressure from organizations like the Audubon Society of Portland and the Urban Greenspaces Institute, we are ready to step up our investments in clean rivers and streams to preserve our urban watersheds for generations to come. We're calling this shift in the way we do business "Grey to Green".

Portland is at the forefront of using "green infrastructure" - sustainable stormwater management technologies that mimic natural systems. The city is dotted with parking lot swales, green streets and rain gardens that filter stormwater pollutants and allow water to soak into the ground, replenishing groundwater supplies.

But repairing our urban landscape is not enough. We also need to restore and preserve existing natural areas throughout our city, by fighting invasive weeds, restoring native plants, protecting our most critical natural land, and replacing culverts that harm fish.

These are not new approaches, but shifting our focus and resources from grey to green is a vital step toward improving the health of our watersheds and rivers. With this shift comes the added benefit that we don't get from miles of piped sewers - cleaner air and water, reduced urban temperatures, and increased and improved habitat. And, these approaches often cost less than traditional piped systems.

What excites me most is that this new approach allows every residence and business to be a part of the solution, whether it's installing an ecoroof or simply planting a tree.

Grey to Green is an investment that makes sense. And we are ready to act now.

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G2G_Council_PowerPoint.pdf	3.4 MB
G2G Benefits.xls	63.5 KB
Oregonian Opinion Page.pdf	17.01 KB
Grey to Green FINAL.pdf	2.7 MB

Ecoroof Workshops - FREE

Lisa Libby — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:11:49 -0700

Here is your chance to learn more about ecoroof structure, design, construction and permitting. The City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) will be hosting this series of free technical workshops, beginning on April 29th.

All participants will receive a certificate of completion and may be eligible to receive city funding to support ecoroof construction.

Call 503.823.7213 or e-mail sandih@bes.ci.portland.or.us to register. Advance registration is required, and space is limited, so be sure to register early... but don't worry if the workshop it full. Rumor has it that the series will be offered again in the Fall.

For more information about ecoroofs, visit the BES website.

Ecoroof Workshop Topics and Dates:

Latest Data, Information and Resources
Tuesday, April 29

Structure and Design
Tuesday, May 6

Membrane and Waterproofing
Tuesday, May 13

Plants, Growing Media, and Irrigation
Wednesday, May 21

Permitting, Construction, and Operation and Maintenance
Wednesday, June 4

Relevant Documents:

Ecoroof Seminar Brochure

The Silent Invasion

Sam Adams — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:15:47 -0700

Click for more information (PDF)

Please join me for a special screening of "the Silent Invasion".

The City of Portland, Oregon Zoo and other community partners have teamed up with Oregon Public Broadcasting to present this hour-long documentary examining Oregon's battle with invasive plants and animals. A public screening will be held Monday, April 14th at the Oregon Zoo .

The screening is FREE and open to the public, so invite your family and friends. Just remember - space is limited.

I hope to see you there.

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Speak up on Stormwater Management

Lisa Libby — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:49:04 -0700

The Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) needs your help in updating the Stormwater Management Manual. This is your chance to comment on the revised draft before it is adopted by City Council in late spring. The public review period is open until Friday, April 4 at 5 p.m. Comments can be submitted online at the BES website, or questions can be directed to rsmith@bes.ci.or.us.

Ecoroof at People's Food Co-opThe city requires all new residential and commercial developments to manage stormwater runoff on-site. The Stormwater Management Manual helps developers and property owners choose the best way to do so on their property. The management practices in the manual focus on landscape facilities, such as ecoroofs, planters and bioswales. The updated manual will be available in July 2008.

BES Improves Construction Contract Process

Lisa Libby — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:47:18 -0700

A positive city audit shows that BES has strengthened its construction contract management process using recommendations from the last city audit, which was done in 1998.

The audit letter complimented BES, sharing that "This report is unusual in that our findings are favorable, and it contains no recommendations for improvement." The report also acknowledges the positive steps taken by BES since the 1998 audit and thanks the bureau for their cooperation and assistance.

Changes that have happened since 1998 include creating a manual for managing contracts, conducting independent audits and adding new software tools to help track project status and cost. These improvements have helped BES to complete almost half of the construction projects at the bid amount or less, which in turn helps keep rate-payers costs down. Great job BES!

For more information on the audit, you can read the full report, or the Oregonian article from February 14, 2008.

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Celebrating Green Streets for St. Patrick's Day

Lisa Libby — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:50:27 -0700

Clay Street Flyer

Join the City of Portland in celebrating our newest Green Street. The festivities begin with YOU. Help Portland kick off the design phase for the Green Street project on SE Clay Street from the Willamette River to SE 12th Avenue. It's St. Patrick's Day, so wear green and celebrate the greening of our city.

What: SE Clay Green Street Project Open House
When: Monday, March 17 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Where: SE 12th and SE Clay Street, in the Burgerville parking lot
Why: Green Streets make Portland more beautiful, more liveable, and more environmentally and economically sustainable.
Why else: Free food!

The SE Clay Green Street Project will sustainably manage stormwater and includes design elements to ehance pedestrian, bicycle and motorist safety. As with other Green Street Projects around the city, the SE Clay proposal adds these needed street features while continuing to serve the business and freight traffic needs of the Central Eastside Industrial District.

Green streets are swales along roadways that capture stormwater runoff and allow it to soak into the ground rather than filling up the storm drains and polluting our rivers. Swales give relief to our city sewer system while refreshing groundwater supplies and adding green space!

The Clay Green Street Project will be an urban greenway to connect neighborhoods to the business district and the river and improve livability for all Portland residents.

We hope to see you on St. Patricks Day while we celebrate one of the features that helps make Portland the most liveable and green city in the United States!

Whooooo Wu!

Lisa Libby — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:52:35 -0800

Portland Green StreetThanks to leadership by Congressman David Wu, a new bill has passed through the House Science and Technology Committee to expand funding for green streets research throughout Portland and the rest of the country.

H.R. 5161, also known as The Green Transportation Infrastructure Research and Technology Transfer Act, will authorize research and educational programs on green infrastructure, such as bioswales, curb extensions, and sidewalk planters, which catch and filter runoff, naturally removing pollutants and recharging groundwater.

This bill will fund research and educational programs at select University Transportation Centers, such as the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC), a partnership between Portland State University, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, and the Oregon Institute of Technology.

Portland has won national praise for its innovative green streets designs that minimize the harmful effects of stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows. Currently there are over 600 green streets facilities throughout the city.

Congressman David Wu, chair of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation for the House Science Committee, met with Sam in April to tour several of Portland's innovative green streets. Sam was invited by the Congressman to testify at a subcommittee hearing last May to share Portland's success with sustainable stormwater practices.

A Healthy Urban Watershed Starts With You.

Lisa Libby — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:48:26 -0800

What could you do to improve your watershed?

The Community Watershed Stewardship Program is offering grants up to $10,000.00 for community groups and organizations to improve their watershed.

Past projects have included native tree planting, restoration of upland and riparian habitat, stream enhancement, naturescaping, as well as ecoroof and bioswale projects.

Attend a free workshop to learn more about Stewardship grants available from Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services , including information on:

Creating budgets
Creating partnerships
Understanding grant guidelines

Workshops will be held:

Tuesday, February 19, 6 pm-7:30 pm
Multnomah County Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave.

Tuesday, February 26, 6 pm-7:30 pm
Historic Kenton Firehouse, 8105 N Brandon Ave.

Grant applications are due Friday, April 4, 2008

For more information call Steve Shackman at 503-823-7917
or visit www.portlandonline.com/bes/stewardship