NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF BALLOT TITLE

Notice is hereby given that a ballot title for a measure referred by the Portland City Council to qualified voters at the November 5, 2019 Special Municipal Election has been filed with the Elections Office of the City of Portland on June 26, 2019.

An elector may file a petition for review of this ballot title in the Multnomah County Circuit Court no later than 5:00 P.M., July 8, 2019.

The ballot title is as follows:

BALLOT TITLE

CAPTION:

Amends Charter: Increases protections for Bull Run Watershed.

QUESTION:

Shall Charter be amended to increase Bull Run Watershed protections by restricting access, regulating allowed activities and limiting land uses?

SUMMARY:

The measure adds a new Charter section establishing protections for City lands within the Bull Run Watershed Closure Area, the location of the City’s primary drinking water source and hydroelectric facilities. The Charter currently does not protect the Bull Run Watershed. The measure will codify watershed protections in the Charter and, if passed, the protections may only be removed by an affirmative vote of Portlanders. 

Protections include:

• Public access restrictions
• Tree-cutting prohibitions
• Land use and activity limits
• Drinking water or hydroelectric projects must avoid and then mitigate impacts to the natural environment

The Bull Run Watershed Closure Area includes the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit-– which is jointly managed by the City and the United States Forest Service-– and additional land to the west which is managed exclusively by the City. The Bull Run Watershed Closure Area is managed to provide high-quality drinking water for the Portland metropolitan area.

More information can be found on the City Elections website.