May 7, 2012

By David Nguyen

Portland Parks & Recreation has once again been certified by Salmon-Safe!

First certified by Salmon-Safe in 2004, PP&R continues to be the only parks organization in the country designated as salmon-friendly.

Due to our region’s unique geography, fish spawning in the pristine creeks of the Cascades must first swim through downtown Portland.  Parks ensures its operations, especially near the Willamette and Columbia rivers, are salmon-friendly.  Parks plants water-filtering bioswales (natural landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water) in parking lots, uses the bare minimum of harmful chemicals, and works on the restoration of streams.  

Please support Parks’ Salmon-Safe efforts by being a salmon-friendly park visitor: 

• Stay on the designated trails to reduce erosion, especially near streams

• Keep your dog on a leash on park trails and always clean up after your dog

• Volunteer for a stream restoration project in your neighborhood