Portland Mayor Charlie Hales issued a World Environment Day challenge to the city’s bureaus to become Salmon-Safe.
On June 5, 2013, Mayor Hales called for citywide action to evaluate impacts on habitat and water quality. The Mayor also celebrated the Salmon-Safe recertification of Portland Parks across 244 neighborhood parks and natural areas. Salmon-Safe’s decade-long partnership with Portland Parks inspired habitat restoration and environmental innovation by the city’s largest landowner and spawned our other urban and corporate campus initiatives now working across the region.
The Mayor’s World Environment Day call to action:
In 2004, the Portland Park System became the first Salmon-Safe certified system in the nation. Let me repeat that: the first such system in the nation, signifying our success and dedication in reducing impacts on water quality and fish habitat from park operation and maintenance.
Last year, our Parks Bureau won recertification from the Salmon-Safe program. We are proud of that. But it’s not enough.
As another challenge to our City Council and City Bureaus,
I have asked that EACH service-delivery bureau in the city seek and achieve Salmon-Safe certification within the next two years.
I ask each service-delivery bureau to work with the Salmon-Safe team to evaluate their impact on habitat and water quality. Through determination and collaboration, our City can ensure that every practice we take is done with the least amount of harm to our natural environment and, by doing so, an uptick in the quality of our lives. And as we implement this locally, we will gladly share the results globally, through our friends in the United Nations Environment Programme.
Read the entire speech at www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com
