Case 2: Parks & Nature Bond

Restructuring the Power of Decision Making: Implementing Metro’s Parks and Nature Bond

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February 24 - 28, 2025 | Portland, OR

In 2019, Portland metropolitan area voters approved a $475 million parks and nature bond measure to protect clean water, restore habitat and connect people to nature while centering racial equity and climate resilience. A portion of the funding is targeted at protecting and restoring land, and a significant portion will be passed through to local jurisdictions. Metro—the area’s regional government—is tasked with implementation, working closely with tribes, neighborhoods, underserved communities and governments throughout the three-county area. Our focus for this week will be to explore what it means to center racial equity and climate resilience when prioritizing and implementing conservation work in the region. We’ll hear from policy leaders who shaped the bond measure, regional and local officials, community groups and neighborhood leaders about how they are restructuring the power of decision making to utilize this important funding source, their hoped-for outcomes and the challenges and opportunities of implementation.