Contacts: Erin Madden, Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council, (503) Julie Mentzer, Wildlands, (503)

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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 26, 2014 Contacts: Erin Madden, Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council, (503) Julie Mentzer, Wildlands, (503) HABITAT RESTORATION UNDERWAY IN PORTLAND HARBOR 52-Acre Project Will Provide Refuge For Native Fish And Wildlife PORTLAND - The Alder Creek Restoration Project is the first habitat restoration project that will be implemented specifically to benefit fish and wildlife affected by contamination in the Portland Harbor Superfund site. The project will provide habitat for salmon, lamprey, mink, bald eagle, osprey, and other native fish and wildlife living in Portland Harbor. Habitat that was once abundant, but is now rare in this stretch of the highly industrialized Willamette River, will be restored by removing buildings and fill from the floodplain, reshaping the riverbanks, and planting native trees and shrubs. The project will create shallow water habitat to provide resting and feeding areas for young salmon and lamprey and foraging for birds. The project will also restore beaches and wetlands to provide access to water and food for mink, and forests to provide shelter and nesting opportunities for native birds. The Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council (Trustee Council) is responsible for assessing the harm that contamination has caused to the river, fish, wildlife, and other resources. Habitat restoration is a critical component of compensating the public for the injuries. As Erin Madden, Trustee Council Chair, explains, This project represents a major milestone in the Portland Harbor Superfund process. Early, proactive restoration projects in the Portland Harbor area are crucial to restoring the river and the species that inhabit it. This is the first of several restoration projects expected in the coming years. The Alder Creek Restoration Project is located on the southern tip of Sauvie Island. It is owned and managed by a habitat development company called Wildlands. As Julie Mentzer, Wildlands Project Manager, explains, Wildlands is excited about the Alder Creek Restoration Project. We look forward to creating high value habitat and offering an innovative solution to the industries and governments that are in need of habitat restoration to fulfill their obligation to restore natural resources in Portland Harbor. Portland Harbor was designated as a national Superfund site in The Portland Harbor Superfund site is located in the Willamette River and along its shores, from the Broadway Bridge to Columbia Slough. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon Department of

2 Environmental Quality are working with potentially responsible parties to clean up contaminated sediment and control sources of additional contamination. More information about the Alder Creek Restoration Project, Wildlands, the Trustee Council, and restoration planning for Portland Harbor can be found on the Trustee Council s website at: and on Wildlands website at:

3 Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council Responsibility for protection of natural resources within the Portland Harbor Superfund site is shared among Federal, State and Tribal Trustees. This is because no one individual owns a natural resource. Rather, the resources are held in trust for the public. The Natural Resource Trustee Council was formed in 2002 to develop and coordinate damage assessment activities at Portland Harbor and to plan for the restoration of natural resources. The Trustee Council possesses a broad spectrum of legal authority for Natural Resource Damage Assessment activities at the Portland Harbor site derived from a wide variety of federal and state statutes and regulations, tribal treaties, agreements and regulations, and land ownership. The Trustee Council is composed of representatives of eight trustees: U.S. Department of the Interior, acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration State of Oregon Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon Nez Perce Tribe Laws such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Oil Pollution Act of 1990; the Clean Water Act; the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan [National Contingency Plan]; and other applicable federal and state laws and regulations provide a legal framework for the Trustee Council s actions.

4 Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council Artist s rendering depicting what the Alder Creek site will look like after restoration. Alder Creek Restoration Project Creating habitat for fish and wildlife injured by contamination in the Portland Harbor Superfund site The Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council is excited to announce the first habitat restoration project to address injuries related to contamination from the Portland Harbor Superfund site. During summer 2014 the habitat development company Wildlands will begin construction at the Alder Creek site to provide habitat for salmon, lamprey, mink, bald eagle, osprey, and other native fish and wildlife living in the area.the Alder Creek project will restore habitat that was once abundant but is now rare in this stretch of the highly industrialized Willamette River. The restoration project will include: Removing buildings, infrastructure, and fill from the floodplain Reshaping the riverbanks Planting trees, shrubs, and grasses Creating shallow water habitat Restoring beaches and wetlands The aquatic habitats created will provide resting and feeding areas for young salmon and lamprey, as well as forage areas for birds. Along the shore, improved beaches, wetlands, and riparian habitat will provide access to food and water for mink. The forests will provide shelter and nesting opportunities for native birds and other wildlife. JULY 2014

5 Site Background The Alder Creek project is located on the southern tip of Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon. The site was formerly occupied by a lumber mill. In 2012, a habitat development company called Wildlands purchased the property and began planning to restore habitat at the site. Wildlands intends to sell natural resource credits from the project to potentially responsible parties to help those parties meet their obligations for environmental damages resulting from contamination in the Superfund site. Portland Harbor was designated as a national Superfund site in The Portland Harbor Superfund site is located in the Willamette River and along its shores, from the Broadway Bridge to Columbia Slough. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are working with potentially responsible parties to clean up contaminated sediment and control sources of additional contamination. Cleaning up Portland Harbor is vitally important, but it doesn t cover everything. It does not completely restore natural resources or compensate the public for its inability to fully use those resources in the past. That s the purpose of restoration. The Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council (Trustee Council) is leading restoration in Portland Harbor. In 2002, the Trustee Council formed to develop and coordinate natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) activities at Portland Harbor and to plan restoration of injured natural resources. The NRDA process is separate from the EPA clean-up activities. Under NRDA, the Trustee Council is evaluating how natural resources - such as salmon, lamprey, mink, and bald eagle- were harmed by contamination over time, and is planning restoration to compensate the public for those losses. Map showing Alder project within the Superfund Study Area. As part of their restoration planning efforts, the Trustee Council identified numerous projects that could restore or replace natural resources that were injured at Portland Harbor. Alder Creek is one of those projects. The Trustee Council worked closely with Wildlands on the planning and design for the Alder Creek project to make sure that the benefits to Portland Harbor s injured resources are maximized. For more information Aerial photo of Alder Creek site prior to habitat restoration. To learn more about the Alder Creek Restoration Project, restoration planning, and the Portland Harbor Superfund site, please visit the following websites: Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council Wildlands Environmental Protection Agency s Portland Harbor website +Harbor+Superfund+Site Chinook salmon, one of several potentially injured fish and wildlife species that will benefit from the Alder project.