October 18, 2012

Two years ago, Portland Parks & Recreation made a commitment to undertake a series of management actions in Forest Park.

We are pleased to share our progress in Portland’s largest natural area, and our continued plans for expanding off-road biking in Portland.

Since 2009, we have:

• Completed an all-seasons Recreation Survey.
• Developed a Desired Future Conditions report and a new set of Forest Park Ecological Prescriptions.
• Signed a new Partnership Agreement with the Forest Park Conservancy.
• Created a new dedicated Park Ranger position for increased enforcement.
• Developed an outreach and education program to promote public awareness of trail etiquette and safety.
• Made significant progress in monitoring vegetation health.
• Secured funding and completed a park-wide Wildlife Study.

We had hoped to improve the Forest Park riding experience by re-vegetating portions of firelanes already open to cyclists. But we soon learned that limiting access for emergency vehicles had unintended consequences.

Our team agreed to change our approach by focusing on a singletrack that’s designed especially for cyclists.

In partnership with Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA), PP&R is currently seeking permits to build enhancements parallel to Fire Lane 5 that will result in a true singletrack experience for cyclists in Forest Park. We expect to complete this project in the next 9 months.

We are also pursuing permits for the Yeon trail segment identified in the Forest Park Natural Resources Management Plan as a new multi-use trail. We’re working with our partners to develop a trail design that separates trail users and creates a great singletrack experience.

The NWTA and broader biking community have worked tirelessly to expand off-road biking opportunities in Portland. Thanks to NWTA, we built the new Ventura Park Bike Skills Area and it has been a great success. We also partnered with NWTA to offer the first mountain biking camp for Portland youth.

We are pleased with the progress to date, but also know that there is still much to do. Working with the community, we will continue to enhance our Gold Medal parks system.

Commissioner Fish announces new Forest Park singletrack 'in the next 9 months'

Jonathan Maus in BikePortland.org