Older Issues

We have a number of issues in RVNA. We can help the Parks Rangers. We can also be informed of what Parks department staff are doing in RVNA.

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Logs or Sticks on the Trails

Natural Area Supervisor: It seems there has been a practice of placing logs or sticks on the trail in areas where folks perceive the area needs additional protection. I ask that natural area users refrain from this activity as it can create an extreme safety hazard. Many users, including families with kids, have been using this natural area as a biking area for many years and some may not know of the most recent park rule change on site. As we educate them and the rest of the public on the park rule change, it is of utmost importance that that no person is harmed by attempts to restrict access by other users. (Edited for typo and clarity)

The 'most recent park rule change' is that biking has not been allowed since March 16, 2015. If you are biking in groups, alone, or with your family and kids, please observe the rule change. (Full page articles have appeared in Portland newspapers, national biking magazines, and featured on TV reports. Parks has made no effort to educate the public about this change as far as we know. References welcome.)

Anyway, everyone please refrain from placing limbs across any trail or nurse logs in an attempt to protect the natural area. Please remove any blown-down branches or limbs from trails, so that bikers and hikers might not be unwittingly harmed.

Illegal Camping

May 12, 2015: There was a tent pitched midway down the switch backs by Macadam in May.

Friend: I proceeded to call the PP&R Ranger dispatch to inform of the situation. Must say the person I gave the information to was polite and courteous, but she did ask if this was a camp. So, we'll see what happens.

Prompt response from Parks Dispatch: Thank you for reporting your observation of illegal camping activity in the River View Natural Area, we will forward this on to our Rangers to educate the camper on camping rules, attempt to connect the person with social services, and remove the camp from the park.

Outcome: This tent was removed by Rangers on 5/15/15. Several more camps have come and gone or been removed this summer.

Tent of (illegal) camper

Litter

Trash from Campers. This litter and other piles were picked up by Rangers on 5/15/15.

Camp Litter

Collins View neighbors stepped up on Earth Day 2017 to pickup a bunch of litter and trash from the River View Natural Area. One family with their 3 year old, and two other individuals worked happily on their own to gather and haul stuff out.

Here are snippets from reports they submitted:

We'd see one piece of trash off trail and then would discover it was just the tip of the iceberg of a bunch of other trash that has gotten buried over time - you could tell from some of the items it wasn't recently disposed of.

Not a ton of trash on the trails, but we found A LOT of stuff just off trail. Kitchen-type trash, landscaping materials and construction debris.

Based on the map we spent most of our time on trails numbered 4 and 3B and about 1/3 down 6. There's more to gather off trail on 3B (west side) if anyone wants to lend a hand..

There is more there! This was only within a few hundred feet of the trail head.

We should do it again and with more people we could really knock some of those bad areas out.

Collage of Litter

We are all dumbfounded that people have littered the place, some of it old, some new. Construction debris!? We all hope that by cleaning the area, and restoring it, that littering and dumping will become a thing of the past. What can You do? Pickup any litter you see whenever you visit, and pack it out.

The bulky / heavy items will be picked up by a Parks crew ASAP.

Stupid Pet Trick, $150 Fine!

8/23/2015: Third occurrence of bright pink doggie doo bags left on the trails in RVNA. Current policy is carry-out all trash after picking up after your leashed pet. (Blue bag from earlier trick.)

blue bag of dog shit

Illegal Dumping

Someone obviously dumped a load of asphalt and concrete chunks.. quite some time ago, at Brugger and Palatine Hill Road. Anyone recall when it showed up?

Perhaps Friends should offer to do a work party and stack this rubble up artistically and spread the dirt around... The project would be both symbolic, and restorative. Chunks could possibly used on site somehow (in the future cement sidewalk?). All with advice and approval of PP&R... No response yet.

Asphalt dumped by someone years ago?

Illegal Dumping II

Local neighbors seem to feel they can use RVNA as a convenient place to dump yard debris, rather than in their Green Cart. (!?) Neighbors are also dumping into the ravine at PHR dogleg where Corbett Lane comes in. That Ravine is the start of stream #2. (Need better photo of yard debris.) Cleanup would be a good thing, but maybe when the Management Plan is approved and funded? Need advice here.

Yard Debris Dump by thoughtless resident

Reporting Issues

New FYI items of non-urgent matter can be brought to our attention via our Contact email address. See our FAQ for 'Who you gonna call?' for live issues, such as illegal activity.