Berrydale Park in the Montavilla neighborhood recently reopened with a new playground and skate area, improved paths and lighting, street safety enhancements, and more. Thank you to the Montavilla community, project team, contractors, and Portland Parks and Recreation staff and volunteers who brought this project to life.
Terrestrial wildlife biologist Jade Ujcic-Ashcroft of the Bureau of Environmental Services monitors the health of the birds and beasts who call Portland home. Sometimes that means finding creative ways for us to share the ecosystem we inhabit together.
Tiny frogs. Busy beavers. Herds of elk. Sure, Portland is a city, but it’s also an urban forest that is literally teeming with wildlife. Hundreds of wildlife species live in the city limits and depend on healthy rivers, streams, and creeks for their survival.
That’s where wildlife biologist Jade Ujcic-Ashcroft comes in. He works for the Bureau of Environmental Services -- Portland’s sewer and stormwater utility -- whose mission is to protect public health and our environment, with a particular focus on the innumerable waterways that flow through the city. Those waterways sustain a croaking, cawing, cackling profusion of froggy, furry, and feathered residents who have their own ideas about how things in the neighborhood should go.
What types of critters do you deal with?
Most of the wildlife has some intersection with waterways, because part of the mission of Environmental Services is protecting watersheds. Birds, amphibians, turtles, beavers -- you name it. I'm a terrestrial biologist, so I look at wildlife that spends some part of its life on land. That distinguishes me from fish biologists who focus on salmon and aquatic organisms.
What kind of projects do you work on?
I coordinate the city’s program to protect bird nests, so the nesting season in spring and summer is a really busy time of year for me. I also manage the bird component of the Portland Area Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Program, which is long-term project to measure the city's current and changing ecological resources. We do bird surveys, bug surveys, fish surveys. I work on projects for coyotes, raccoons, beavers. In fact I implement the City's beaver management plan. Basically, that involves coming up with creative solutions to beaver issues.
What type of issues do beavers cause?
We love beavers and coexistence with them is always the goal! Their dams can improve stream health and water quality, help recharge groundwater, increase drought and wildfire resiliency, lessen the effects of floods and create critical habitat for other wildlife. But sometimes their activity can create challenges. A dam at the inlet of a culvert can back up a creek and wash out a road. Felling a large tree or burrowing into a bank can destabilize it. The same qualities that make beavers so valuable to our watershed can also make them a challenge to manage.
How do you persuade the beavers to move their dam?
That is hard, if not impossible. Usually, if you breach a dam and remove it, when you come back a day or a week later, the beaver colony has recreated it. So we use a device called a pond leveler. It's basically a pipe that allows water to flow through the dam. The beavers keep building up the dam, but there's a secret outlet that lets the water flow downstream.
What's your favorite animal?
Anytime I see an unusual bird or a charismatic species like a peregrine falcon or an osprey catching a fish, that gets me excited. Coyote are fascinating to watch. The coastal giant salamander is one of my favorite amphibians. And there's been a handful times where I've seen herds of elk...
A Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) safety initiative is expanding along neighborhood greenways, in pedestrian districts, and near schools to improve visibility and reduce crashes. Vision clearance, or "daylighting," is a safety measure that sets back parking 20 feet near intersections and crossings.
Home Forward has fully opened Dekum Court, a project which redeveloped 40 existing affordable units and added another 147. This family-focused project includes a community center, outdoor play areas, and 118 units with two to four bedrooms. This project received funds from the Metro Housing Bond.
Dozens of local jurisdictions received letters last week from the federal government. Portland reaffirms that its sanctuary city status does not violate federal law in its response.
Beginning Monday, August 18, 2025 and extending through Sunday, August 31, 2025, law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon will use federally funded enforcement hours to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws including a law passed in 2017 increasing safety for children under age two.
The Downtown Portland parking district, which covers downtown Portland, Old Town and the Pearl District, will expand its pay-to-park hours to 10 p.m. starting Tuesday, Sept. 2. Extending these hours also comes with a new “5 after 5” rule, allowing people to pay for parking for up to 5 hours starting at 5 p.m. in the Downtown, Central Eastside, and Lloyd parking districts.
Mayor Wilson celebrates Portland Street Response's efforts to address immediate crises, provide resource and service connection, and ensure patient stability in the community
Watch the recording of the Portland Street Response virtual town hall. Topics included the current status of the program, PSR's vision for the future, and to gather community input.
City of Portland and Multnomah County saw a 3% drop in annual emissions, thanks to renewable energy and renewable fuels! Explore this and other data points on the recently updated Climate and Energy Dashboard.
Mandatory training for Portlanders running for Mayor, Auditor, or Council who wish to participate in the matching program. Those considering running or considering participating are welcome and encouraged to join. Confidential one-on-one trainings are available.
We invite you to participate in group fitness classes taught by some of your favorite Portland Parks & Recreation instructors at local parks through Aug. 29.
This Prosper Portland grant program provides funding to small businesses located in the City of Portland that have sustained physical and economic damage due to break-ins and vandalism.
This quarterly grant opportunity offers up to $5,000 for activities that align with PCEF goals of advancing racial and social justice while addressing climate change. Created in response to community feedback, these mini grants provide an opportunity for organizations to fund a wide range of activities, including grant writing support, small projects, events, and training.
PBOT is taking the next steps to install more convenient, reliable and affordable chargers for electric vehicles across the city – and now is your chance to get involved!
Project staff have released a Proposed Draft for zoning changes to increase opportunities for affordable housing in Portland. The public is invited to submit written or verbal testimony to the Planning Commission.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation is proposing to update TRN-1.30 (Thresholds for Frontage Improvement and Dedication Requirements). Comments are due September 19.
The City is considering a new rule to make it easier and less expensive to plant trees and follow the Tree Code. The new rule simplifies the size requirements for street trees and allows younger trees to be planted in situations where there is no associated development. The rule applies to everyone, including City bureaus, homeowners, and others who plant trees on their property or in the adjacent planting strip. Share your feedback on the draft rule by September 19, 2025.
The Smile Boat Parade is an aquatic celebration of local camaraderie, bringing the marine community in North and NE Portland together. Local boaters of all sizes, showcase their creativity as they cruise, sail or paddle the Columbia River, their boats decked out for the “Tropical Cruise”, this year’s theme. Photo from Bridgeton Neighborhood Association.
Request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for any City of Portland program, service, event, or activity. To ensure the best response, please make your request at least five business days before the program or event, if possible.
Once lacking basic power, Dignity Village now runs on solar energy thanks to community ingenuity, nonprofit support, and a Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF)grant – bringing safety, health, and hope to its formerly unhoused residents.
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