St. Andrew’s Local Environmental Mission Project

Parking Lot and Restoration Creek Cleanup

---

New Name for Creek!

We received the official notice that the creek on the south end of St. Andrew's Parking lot (which continues on through Albert Kelly Park) is now officially Restoration Creek. This was approved by the US Board On Geographic Names on May 12, 2005. Thank you to those who helped chose this name. Thanks also to Lewis L. McArthur who provided the official description of the creek and championed this proposal through the Oregon Geographic Names Board and the US Board. (June 19, 2005) The name change was the subject of an article in the SW Neighborhood News, August 2007, page 2 (available at www.swni.org/newsletter).

---

Vision for Project

We now have improved the environment of our tributary of Fanno Creek by removing 14,000 square feet of asphalt parking lot and creating bioswales. This work benefits both St. Andrew’s and the environment. St. Andrew’s benefits financially by reducing the fee we pay to the City of Portland for stormwater runoff. We will reduce the fee by both reducing the amount of square-feet of impervious surface we have and by reducing the rate, since the run-off will flow through the bioswales. The environment is improved by having run off cleansed by vegetation in the bioswales and by having more infiltration into the soil, which reduces the “flashiness” of the streams, having water enter the stream more slowly, through the soil and having more contaminants absorbed by the vegetation. This greatly benefits fish in the down-stream area. All of this is accomplished by a reduction of the amount of impervious surface (asphalt) and directing the stormwater through vegetation. The number of parking spaces was only reduced by about 14 spaces, through optimization of the parking striping plan. In pursuit of this plan, we have received two additional grants – one from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for $5,537 and a second from the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (River Renaissance program for $28,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002).

History of Project

The first effort was in the spring of 1996. Bill Cook organized an ivy pull, with help from the Fans of Fanno Creek. The general plan for restoration was developed during a Christian Education class during the winter of 1996.

During the summer of 1996, Steve Shepro organized his Eagle Scout project to clean out the invasive plants in the pie-shaped area. On a day when temperatures exceeded 90 degrees, 34 volunteers from Portland Boy Scout Troop 1 and St. Andrew's Church contributed 143 hours in this effort.

On April 27, 1997, Bill Cook led an environmental clean-up of the parking area as part of St. Andrew's "Mission Sunday". Twenty people participated in this effort. Strong efforts to remove English Ivy from the southern boundary of the property were successful. Partly because this activity drew more people than any of the other mission activities, it was repeated on Earth Day, 1998 and beyond.

On April 19, 1998 Denise McPherson requested a SOLV grant for a dumpster. It was filled with old concrete curb and was much heavier than expected, with the cost far exceeding the amount of the SOLV grant. Twenty-seven people participated. Native plants were donated by the City of Portland and planted by the volunteers. Sword ferns and other native plants replaced the English Ivy along the stream banks.

At this point, the project became a Mission Team effort. April 18, 1999 tools were borrowed from Fans of Fanno Creek. Willow seedlings were donated by Bridlemile Stream Stewards. A SOLV grant provided a dumpster, that was filled with only yard debris. The majority of the people tackled the blackberries and Japanese knotweed. Pizza was provided for the 25 participants.

While the efforts to remove the English ivy were successful before the additional efforts (solarizing and more frequent work parties) were begun in the year 2000, the Japanese knotweed and blackberries came back every year after the April efforts. Additional efforts by individuals during the summer did not appear to have a lasting effect.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church had its fourth annual Earth Day cleanup on April 16, 2000. Volunteers cut down and removed English ivy, blackberries and Japanese knotweed, filling the bottom of one large dumpster with yard debris. They planted half a dozen donated evergreen trees and began solarizing three areas. An additional work party was held on July 15, including cutting of noxious weeds and additional solarizing.

St. Andrew’s successfully applied for a $5,000 Community Watershed Stewardship Program grant during 2000 and 2001.

The original goal was complete removal of all invasive, exotic plants and replacement with native groundcover, understory and canopy. Once the Japanese knotweed was removed from an area, it was planted with native plants.

Work parties included:

Year	Date	Work Done
2000	2000 August 12	Rented two weed eaters and two drop boxes – one for yard debris and another for concrete and asphalt. Approximately 11 people donated 34 hours of labor.
	2000 October 22	85 hours of volunteer labor were donated. We spread 5 units of bark mulch over approximately 4000 square feet of weed barrier. Japanese knotweed was again cut by weed eaters.
2001	2001 February 11	Approximately 16 people donated 52 hours to plant 385 plants and begin construction of the seepage trench, which was completed later that year. Two catch basins and 1000 square feet of weed barrier were also donated. An interpretive sign was designed and installed, explaining the desirability of eliminating invasive plants and funding of this project by a BES Community Watershed Stewardship grant.
	2001 April 29	Earth Day 2001 was celebrated on with another work party, including cutting Japanese knotweed and blackberries and continued solarizing – 24 hours.
	2001 June 10	Completing the FY 2001 grant work - 48 hours.
	2001 September 23	67 hours laying landscape fabric and spreading bark mulch.
	2001 October 7	56 hours spreading bark mulch
2002	2002 February 10	55 hours planting 250 plants
	2002 April 28	75 hours weeding and rock placement
	2002 June 9	40 hours weeding invasive plants and spreading landscape fabric and bark mulch
	2002 July 15
	2002 August 12	34 hours
	2002 September 15	30 hours
2003	2003 January 11	Dan Simchuk began asphalt removal; 28 hours.
	2003 February 9	Planted over 200 plants - 52 hours.
	2003 March 14-15	Dan Simchuk removed asphalt; move sod from parking strip; 20 hours.
	2003 April 27	27 hours weeding.
	2003 April 30	Planting.
	2003 July 20	10 hours removing blackberries.
	2003 September 21	30 hours of labor; spread 2 units of bark mulch.
2004	2004 February 22	65 hours planting 900 plants.
	2004 April 4	12+ hours planting 40 plants and 70 grass plugs, place rock and weed.
	2004 June 13	36 hours pulling weeds.
	2004 July 18	14 hours pulling 14 yard debris bags worth of weeds.
	2004 October 3	18 hours pulling 9 yard debris bags worth of weeds and spreading one unit of bark mulch.
2005	2005 February 20 & 27	Seventeen people (including the Sunday School class on February 20 and the volunteers on February 27) who contributed over 28 hours to plant over 300 small plants and one large tree in St. Andrew's parking lot.
	2005 April 17	11 hours weeding, filling 12 yard debris bags
	2005 June 12	As part of Mission Sunday, 6 people volunteered 15 hours of labor to weed the landscaped areas.
	2005 November 20	Fall clean-up - 20 hours of work weeding and spreading bark mulch.
2006	2006 February 26	Winter clean-up - 35 hours, planted over 100 plants and weeding
	2006 April 30	20 hours of weeding
	2006 July 7	17 hours of weeding
	2006 September 24	9 hours of weeding
	2006 November 5	8 hours of weeding
2007	2007 March 4	40 hours of planting
	2007 May 19	16 hours of weeding
	2007 July 29	11 hours of weeding
	2007 October 14	Fall Clean Up -