Oregon Public Broadcasting

Workers for the city of Portland began this week restoring Ross Island to a more natural state.  The goal is to put native habitat back onto 45 acres of the Willamette River island.  Pete Springer reports.

Last year, the owner of Ross Island, Bob Pamplin, donated 45 acres of the island to Portland Parks and Recreation.

But there was a catch.  The public won’t be allowed on the island until Portland Parks develops a management plan.

That plan is still in the works, but a crew contracted by the city has now started removing invasive species as laurel, holly, and English Hawthorne.

Lynn Barlow is a natural areas supervisor for Portland Parks.

She says restoring the island will take time—maybe years.

Lynn Barlow: “Because just this one cut through here is not, it’s just the beginning; it’s not a one time thing.  There will be some tree plantings in here to kind of bolster the regeneration of the restoration of these species, these canopy species.”

City officials say they’re not sure when they’ll have a final management plan for the island, but promise to involve the public in the process.