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City Celebrates Summer Creek Park Purchase

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	City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd. Tigard, Oregon 97223	Press Release January 3, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact:	Steve Martin, Parks and Facilities Manager City of Tigard 503-718-2583 steve@tigard-or.gov

City Celebrates Summer Creek Park Purchase
On Friday, January 7, 2011, the City of Tigard will commemorate the acquisition of its second largest park. The "Summer Creek Commemorative Celebration" will take place at 11 a.m. at 11096 SW Tigard Street, in Tigard. Representatives from the city, Washington County, the Trust for Public Land and Metro will participate in the ceremony. Additionally the Trust for Public Land will present the city with a $30,000 check to fund an environmental education program at the site. The ceremony will be followed by a short walking tour of the park. The public and press are welcome to attend.

Also known as the Fowler property, the 43-acre Summer Creek property has been at the top of the city's park acquisition "wish list" for several years. Bordered by Fowler Middle School to the south, Tiedeman Avenue to the east, and Tigard Street to the north, the property is a mix of mature forest, wetlands, and open space. The area is home to turtles, frogs, salamanders, red-tailed hawks, owls and herons. "The Tigard City Council and I are pleased to deliver the first of several great new parks to our citizens," mayor Craig Dirksen said. "Summer Creek is a site where some of our last significant natural resources can be preserved while also providing active recreation areas."

The city contributed approximately $2.8 million toward the $5.3 million purchase price. Washington County and Clean Water Services contributed $400,000 and $100,000 respectively. The county's contribution and approximately $873,000 of the city's contribution were "local share" dollars from Metro's 2006 natural areas bond measure. Two major grants also helped secure the purchase - a $1 million grant through the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and a $1 million Metro Nature in Neighborhoods grant. "Summer Creek offers us an unusual opportunity to preserve a natural area in the heart of urban Tigard, and we're happy that Metro has been able to play a significant role in making it available to the public for generations to come," said Metro councilor Carl Hosticka, who represents the southwestern part of the region.

The Summer Creek property was declared surplus by the Tigard-Tualatin School District in 2008 and was offered for sale. The Trust for Public Land, a land conservation organization, worked to obtain outside funding and acquire an option for the city to purchase the property. "This natural area has been a long time coming for Tigard, which included the acquisition of Summer Creek in its 2010 Park System Master Plan," said Trust for Public Land project manager Bob Betcone. The purchase was finalized in late December. "Protecting Summer Creek will have an impact beyond the natural area's boundaries and even beyond Tigard city limits," said Washington County commissioner Dick Schouten. "We are creating recreational areas, ensuring wildlife habitat and improving region-wide connectivity."