GreenWorks Awarded USFWS Flexible Services Contract

GreenWorks is excited about the new opportunities to be presented by our recent award of a USFWS Flexible Services contract. Since it’s origins in 1871, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission has been to “work with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” Similar to the USFWS, GreenWorks’ mission over the last 14 years has been to create healthy interactions between people and nature through conservation and restoration of sensitive ecosystems.

Under this new contract, GreenWorks hopes to provide services for a wide range of projects. From cultural resource inventories, to transportation plans, historic visitor centers, stormwater manuals, wetland restoration, bird blinds, and artistic fish cleaning platforms, GreenWorks will support the USFWS Service as it continues to plan and design for the “Big Six” priority public uses (hunting, fishing, wildlife photography, wildlife observation, environmental interpretation, and environmental education) on its 150 million acres of refuges.

To learn more about the USFWS Service visit: http://www.fws.gov/

Mt. Scott Creek METRO Grant Application

GreenWorks recently helped the Clackamas County Water Environment Services prepare an application for METRO’s Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grants Program. The requested funds would finance restoration of fish habitat and provide public education improvements along Mt. Scott Creek at North Clackamas Park in Milwaukie. The lower reach of Mt. Scott Creek is important habitat for several juvenile fish species and its location, within a park heavily used by local youth, makes it a great place for environmental education installations. Proposed improvements include: 48,000 square feet of restored and protected riparian forest habitat.

4 large woody debris installations for fish habitat, including approximately 40 logs total.

320 linear feet of streambank stabilization and restoration (within the total 550 lf section).

530 linear feet of decommissioned trail.

50 linear foot pedestrian bridge for ADA access over wetlands.

2 unique and sustainably designed creek overlooks with educational interpretive signs.

1 culvert removal and bank restoration at Camas Creek confluence for fish passage.

We are all keeping our fingers crossed that funding comes through for this exciting project!

Chambers Creek WWTP Site Perimeter Improvements Under Construction

Construction has begun on the first phase of a 30-year, five-phase expansion of the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), located in University Place, WA on a former quarry site on the Puget Sound. The WWTP expansion is necessary to protect the health of the Sound and surrounding environment by upgrading treatment facilities and providing additional capacity that will meet the needs associated with future economic growth in the region.

The first phase consists of 33 acres of site perimeter improvements, and includes a 200'-wide vegetated landscape buffer that extends around the majority of the plant perimeter. This buffer will provide a visual and physical screen to the plant as well as valuable habitat for a variety of native fawna. The north perimeter buffer will also accommodate approximately 6 acres of stormwater infiltration basins and swales that will treat all impervious surfaces throughout existing and future expansion areas of the WWTP.  Additionally, new pedestrian trails will be constructed along the east perimeter buffer to connect existing trail networks adjacent to the WWTP site.

The photo below is a panorama of the site grading for the north perimeter buffer, which includes the stormwater infiltration basins as well as a new reclaimed water basin.  This basin will hold post-process water that will be used to irrigate the entire Chambers Bay Properties, which also include public parks adjacent to the WWTP as well as the award-winning Chambers Bay Golf Course to the north.

Click the image to enlarge.