65 acres of Hayden Island is up for conservation
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Oregon officials have moved to sell 65 acres of Hayden Island to the state's Department of Transportation in an effort to establish a conservation area and ease environmental impact for the new I-5 bridge project.
Why it matters: The sale would not only preserve the habitats of salmon, steelhead and more than 120 species of birds in the North Portland Harbor, but it would also become one of the largest fully protected natural areas in the region.
Driving the news: Lawmakers approved of the sale to ODOT in a meeting of the State Land Board last week. Next up is a 45-day public comment period, which is expected to open in the coming weeks.
- If the sale goes through, transportation crews would remove dredged soils from the island's shoreline to counteract potential flooding from building the new bridge's massive seismic foundations in the Columbia River.
- ODOT would maintain the southwestern lands and shorelines throughout the bridge's construction as a way to "satisfy anticipated compensatory mitigation requirements" and then in perpetuity.
The big picture: The wild western section of Hayden Island — largely inaccessible to the public except by water — is a stark contrast to its highly developed eastern side, the site of shopping centers.
- Conservationists have long advocated for its protection because its shores have faced accretion and erosion over the last few decades.
What's next: Gov. Tina Kotek said the sale would open up future conversation about how to transform Western Hayden Island into a natural habitat with public access.