Metro council president touts partnerships

Partners in Community Forestry 2009

National Arbor Day Foundation Conference: Nov. 9

Calling Portland “an island in a sea of federal land,” Metro Regional Council President David Bragdon opened the conference with his introduction of Intertwine and stressing partnerships like the one with Friends of Trees.

“The public wants to enjoy the outdoors without regard to who owns what,” said Bragdon, the first regionally elected president of Metro.

Calling Intertwine “an organization of organizations…” and “…(Metro’s) attempt to actualize partnership,” Bragdon explained how local bond measures created with property tax revenues have allowed Metro to create a science-based real estate company, acquiring and restoring land the public will benefit from.

Bragdon mentioned Friends of Trees a half dozen times, especially in reference to the upcoming I-205 Green Space Initiative plantings on ODOT land, which will be a highly visible template for the potential of multi-lateral partnerships.

–Toshio Suzuki