The Intertwine & a regional urban forestry strategy

“Intertwine” means “to twist or twine together, to be mutually involved.”

There’s probably no better word to describe the coalition of environmentally diverse partners and the nearly 3,000 square miles of varied green corridors in the Portland-Vancouver area that the coalition works together to sustain. The goal is to advocate as a team at the federal, state and regional levels to create a healthy Intertwine, and to make The Intertwine accessible to a wide range of people.

Officially founded in 2011, The Intertwine already has 70 member organizations, or partners, including Friends of Trees. It traces its roots from John Charles Olmsted’s vision of a network of interconnected boulevards and green spaces between the Willamette and Columbia rivers to the establishment of the Columbia Regional Association of Governments (CRAG) in the early 1970s and the founding of Metro Regional Government afterward, whose master plan calls for “a cooperative regional system of natural areas, open space, trails, and greenways for wildlife and people.”

Intertwine Map
Map of The Intertwine (Intertwine)

The October 25, 2012 Intertwine Summit began with a discussion of The Intertwine’s Regional Conservation Strategy for the Greater Portland-Vancouver Region and a companion document, the Regional Conservation Strategy and Biodiversity Guide. According to its executive summary, the Regional Conservation Strategy presents “a broad regional view of conservation while highlighting ongoing efforts and potential actions at the local level. It is a starting point for future collaboration, not a substitute for existing planning.”

The Biodiversity Guide includes information about current land cover and ownership, changes in the landscape over time, and significant habitats. New GIS modeling created for the project provides “tools for conservation practitioners and decision makers,” including a land cover map of sections of land five meters by five meters as well as land that covers nearly 3,000 square miles—both showing vegetation, wetlands, habitat paths, and roads. The close-up and the wide-angle images present different pictures, and both are valuable. Anyone interested in the mapping tools can call 503-445-0991 to learn more.

Intertwine Summit participants also discussed a new Regional Active Transportation Guide, which is in progress. Its goal is a green and interconnected system of on- and off-street walking and bicycling networks, integrated with public transit.

The major focus of the afternoon was close to Friends of Trees’ heart: the introduction of a two-year process to develop a Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Regional Urban Forestry Strategy.

The goals of the regional strategy are the following:

– Increase urban tree canopy
– Foster regional collaboration
– Expand management capacity

Once adopted, it will be the first regional urban forestry strategy in the nation.

Survey for Metro Levy
Please take this survey by November 19 (Metro)

The initial call to action is to create “collaborative environments for best management practices, current research, and alternative planning approaches to be shared” as outlined in the Vibrant Cities and Urban Forests recommendations. The goal is to develop a comprehensive strategy through a regional ecosystem analysis and needs assessment, workshops, and projects focused on the health of the urban forest as a whole. The regional urban strategy for the Portland-Vancouver area will provide a template for other metropolitan areas, too.

Long before the regional urban forestry plan is in place, though, The Intertwine and its partner, Metro, need your help. By completing this survey before November 19, you can help Metro decide whether to place a levy on Oregon’s 2013 ballot to support restoration of the more than 16,000 acres of land that Metro manages on our behalf. Two minutes of your time will help all of us in The Intertwine continue to keep our trails, parks and ecosystems interconnected.

-TR