Connecting Green Alliance meeting January 8, 2008

Connecting Green Alliance

This past summer Metro held the Connecting Green regional parks summit which featured speakers from around the region and nation. A follow-up meeting at Bridgeport Brewpub attracted more than 100 grassroots parks, trail and natural areas advocates and park planners. Since then much work has been undertaken that that will help implement the Connecting Green vision.

We want to share this progress with you and hope you can join us on Tuesday, January 8th at Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, Private Party Room, 1945 NW Quimby Street from 4:30 pm to 6 pm. We are still in the early phases of establishing a Connecting Green Alliance to provide the structure through which NGOs, government agencies, businesses, the health community, and park providers can undertake to successfully implement the Connecting Green vision.

The first specific action---developing a bi-state regional strategy to bring federal and local funding into the region to build the bi-state regional trail network---is already underway. Park, transportation and trail advocates are planning a coordinated regional strategy to enhance funding for trail corridor acquisition and construction. The first meeting last week attracted more than fifty transportation and park trail planners and hiking and cycling advocates from around the region. The next transportation strategy meeting is on December 19th at Metro, 1 pm to 3 pm. Future meetings are scheduled for January 23rd and April 23rd. Contact Mel Huie at Metro for meeting information, huiem@metro.dst.or.us or 503-797-1731.

Efforts are also underway to create a structure that allows us all to work collaboratively on implementing the Connecting Green vision, including work on natural area restoration, regional parks and promotion of our parks, trails, and natural areas. Attached is a copy of the follow up materials from the June 28th Connecting Green 2007 Summit, Connecting Green 2007, A Call to Action. Also attached, in the event you do not have a copy, is the Connecting Green Vision Document.

Meanwhile, we hope to see you on Tuesday, January 8th. Please RSVP to Mike Houck, mikehouck@urbangreenspaces.org or 503-319-7155 so we know how many people to expect. Also, mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008, 20th Anniversary Celebration of Parks, Trails, and Greenspaces in the Portland-Vancouver Region

Official Website: http://www.urbangreenspaces.org