July 24, 2013

City stewardship grants for community groups

Today the Portland City Council approved Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP) grants totaling $95,000 to 12 community groups. CWSP provides stewardship grants of up to $10,000 to engage volunteers in stormwater management and watershed restoration projects. 

“The Community Watershed Stewardship Program supports innovative neighborhood projects that help us manage the City’s stormwater,” says City Commissioner Nick Fish.  “Each dollar we invest in a community partnership leverages three dollars in volunteer time and in-kind contributions.” 

CWSP projects support our green infrastructure by providing a range of functions including rainwater infiltration, water quality improvement, stream restoration, pavement removal, watershed data collection and flood mitigation. 

"For years, our church building has flooded during heavy rains,” said Tadele Gelagay, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Southeast Portland’s St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church. “We are a small immigrant congregation with very limited resources, but with our CWSP grant and the help of several partner organizations, we will remove 4,900 square feet of unneeded asphalt and replace it with swales and new green spaces to allow stormwater to soak into the ground, rather than flow into our church.” 

CWSP grants will fund these 12 projects this year:

• Surfrider Foundation - Rain Garden at Peninsula School ($9,950)
• King Neighborhood Association - Parking Lot Retrofit ($10,000)
• Muslim Community Center of Portland - Community Garden and Education ($8,000)
• Tryon Creek Watershed Council - Stream Restoration Mentors ($7,660)
• St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church - Parking Lot Retrofit ($10,000)
• Metropolitan Family Service - SUN Community Garden at David Douglas High School ($5,500)
• Groundwork Portland - Green Team Youth Projects ($5,000)
• Outgrowing Hunger - East Portland Garden ($7,990)
• Wisdom of the Elders, Inc - Native Youth Stewardship & Traditional Education ($6,000)
• Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon - Irvington Covenant Rain Garden and Art ($8,900)
• Faith Community Church/Russian Speaking Network of Oregon - Naturescaping ($8,000)
• Humboldt Neighborhood Association - Albina Tree Initiative ($8,000)

CWSP is a partnership between Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland State University (PSU). Since it began in 1995, the Community Watershed Stewardship Program has: 

• Granted more than $867,000 for watershed projects
• Helped generate more than $3.3 million dollars in volunteer time and other in-kind contributions
• Helped organize more than 40,000 volunteers to work on CWSP projects
• Helped fund projects that planted nearly 136,000 native plants, enhanced nearly 65 acres of natural area, and restored more than 52,000 feet of stream banks.

Go to www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/CWSP for more information. 

Contact: Cheryl Kuck at 503-823-7898