Thirteen organizations got a financial boost from Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) as they divvied out $300,000 in grants tailored to bolster local watershed protection. It's all part of the RiverHealth Stewardship Program, an initiative underscoring habitat restoration, invasive species management, community engagement, and education on watershed science, all of which funnel into the grand scheme of enhancing water quality. The funding, according to Clackamas County, traces back to surface water revenue.
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, in accepting a grant of $29,833, is embarking on a wetland restoration quest. They're eyeing the 4.56-acre Mill's End Wetland, targeting invasive species and replacing them with natives – a move purposed to intercept and treat stormwater runoff from impervious swathes of land. Similarly, the Columbia Land Trust/Bird Alliance of Oregon is turning everyday residents into river heroes with their $20,000 grant. People are getting schooled in the ways of stormwater management, native flora planting, and wildlife stewardship, all nestled under the canopy of their Backyard Habitat Certification Program.
The National Wildlife Foundation, armed with $10,695, is reinforcing watershed health through youth engagement, shaping minds capable of critical thought regarding environmental vicissitudes. Partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, they are implementing the Fish Eggs to Fry program, as described by Clackamas County.
Hands-on involvement is favored by projects like the one endorsed by Northwest Youth Corps, which, with a $26,295 sum, will steer both young women and non-binary individuals, including those from Girls Inc., in habitat restoration efforts. They'll be tackling the grunt work—mulching, daylighting, and uprooting invasive species. Garnering the same financial encouragement, Friends of Trees isn't just nurturing saplings but also cultivating minds at Oregon Trail Elementary with a paired set of volunteer planting appointments and educational events.
It's a total community effort, underpinned by environmental foresight and hands-on action. Happy Valley Heights Homeowners Association is joining forces with other HOAs and private landowners on a large-scale restoration plan, funded by a $27,815 chunk of the grant pie. Their grand scheme wraps around the riparian treatments set by the Watershed Action Plans for Mt. Scott Creek and the Clackamas River, as per Clackamas County. Such collective endeavors embody the program's vision.
