Oregon: Citizen’s and Gov purchase protection for 24 more acres of Canemah Bluff natural area

Metro announced it has bought 24 more acres in the Canemah Bluff
natural area near Oregon City, using voter-approved bond money to set
aside the area for wildlife habitat. The regional government now has
purchased 158 acres in the area, which includes forests, wetlands, a
stream and spring, and rocky outcrops.

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Located on the bluff overlooking the Willamette River, Canemah Bluff
offers scenic views to West Linn and to travelers on the busy I-5
freeway. The natural area is part of the region’s network of parks,
natural areas and trails. Canemah Bluff is valued for its rich
diversity of habitats including conifer forests, ash bottomlands,
wildflowers and rare oak woodlands. “We’ve been working to secure
these important natural and cultural resources for more than a
decade,” Metro Council President David Bragdon said in a news release.
“This acquisition meets the Metro Council’s goal of making strategic
additions at Canemah Bluff.”

The southern half of the new Metro
acquisition is dominated by big-leaf maple and alder trees. The
northern portion, adjacent to the other Metro properties, has a mixed
forest of Douglas fir, white fir, Western hemlock, Pacific yew, Oregon
white oak, and Pacific madrone along with more maple and alder trees.
The presence of a spring, stream and wetland adds complexity and
increases the land’s habitat value. The southern portion of the site
include crevices and small caves.

Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette, who represents the Oregon City area, said the purchase is significant because it is adjacent to other land Metro has purchased. Because they are so rare, maintaining and enhancing the oak woodland and madrone trees found in the Canemah Bluff natural area has been a priority for Metro’s science team. Forest management, such as tree thinning, has been necessary to prevent the fast-growing Douglas fir and big-leaf maple from outpacing the slower-growing oaks. Removing invasive plants such as scotch broom and blackberry has allowed the prairie’s wildflowers to thrive.

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