West Willamette Restoration Partnership Receives $250,000 Metro Grant to Restore Marquam Nature Park

Marquam Nature Park

As West Willamette Restoration Partnership’s (WWRP) fiscal sponsor, Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF) recently received a $250,000 Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grant award from Metro to support habitat restoration and sustainable public access improvements at Marquam Nature Park in southwest Portland.

Received on behalf of WWRP, this funding will restore and enhance approximately 20 acres within Marquam Nature Park 一a nearly 200-acre urban natural area and wildlife refuge in Portland’s west hills一 helping protect wildlife habitat while creating a safer, more sustainable experience for park visitors.

The project addresses years of habitat degradation caused by heavy public use, bootleg, and social trails. Restoration work will include closing unofficial pathways, reclamating degraded trails, controlling soil erosion, removing invasive plants, and planting native, climate-resilient vegetation to improve habitat quality and connectivity.

"This project brings together habitat restoration, sustainable trail improvements, and visitor safety," said Maha Guliani, ecologist with Portland Parks & Recreation. "Together, these improvements will reduce erosion and habitat disturbance, support the recovery of native plant communities, and direct visitors toward safer and more sustainable routes through the park."

A limited number of new or realigned trails will provide safe, sustainable access while concentrating use along thoughtfully engineered routes designed to minimize ecological impacts. Permanent drainage and erosion-control features, along with improved signage, wayfinding, and interpretive infrastructure, will help protect natural resources while increasing visitors' understanding of the park's ecological and cultural significance.

The project is a collaborative effort involving the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, the West Willamette Restoration Partnership, Portland Parks & Recreation, Trailkeepers of Oregon, and the Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center. Together, these partners bring expertise in ecological restoration, trail design and construction, workforce development, community engagement, and long-term stewardship.

"The coordination among our partners is essential for delivering improvements that benefit both the park's ecological health and the people who visit it," Guliani said. "It also builds upon years of restoration and stewardship work by agency staff, community partners, contractors, and volunteers."

At its heart, this project aims to preserve the wild character that makes Marquam Nature Park an important sanctuary within the Portland metropolitan area while making it safer, more welcoming, and more resilient for future generations.

Notification of this grant award was part of Metro Council's July 21st announcement of more than $26 million in grants to 42 parks and nature projects throughout the greater Portland region. It marked the largest amount of funding and the greatest number of projects Metro has ever awarded at a single time through its parks and nature grant programs.

Through this investment, partners will improve habitat for native wildlife, strengthen ecological resilience, and ensure that one of Portland's treasured natural areas continues to provide opportunities for people to connect with nature for years to come.