Parks and nature investments | Metro

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Six times during the last two decades, voters across greater Portland have approved funding measures to support a network of regional parks, trails and natural areas. Learn how Metro uses the money to protect water quality, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and improve access to nature.

Join the committee

Metro is looking for individuals who are deeply committed to advancing racial equity and have experience in areas such as finance, conservation, land acquisition, accessibility, tribal sovereignty, and other topics to serve on the Natural Areas and Capital Program Performance Oversight Committee.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Apply now

The Natural Areas and Capital Performance Oversight Committee keeps Metro accountable and transparent in its use of capital funds from the $475 million 2019 nature bond and the parks and natural areas levy, which raises about $19 million a year. Voters overwhelmingly approved both measures. The committee will provide transparent oversight of the 2019 bond measure by reviewing implementation to ensure consistency with its requirements and principles so taxpayer funds are used responsibly.

The bond measure supports projects that protect clean water, healthy habitat and access to nature. Any project funded by the bond must fulfill three criteria: advancing racial equity, climate resilience and community engagement. The measure was developed through engagement with a wide range of community members.

The 2019 parks and nature bond measure supports these programs:

Protect and restore land, $155 million
Local parks and nature projects, $92 million
Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants, $40 million
Metro parks improvements, $98 million
Walking and biking trails, $40 million
Large-scale community visions, $50 million

Meetings

Annual reports

Resources

Meeting packets

Committee members

Erin Upton, co-chair

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Erin Upton is an environmental social scientist and landscape architect with a doctorate in earth, environment and society from Portland State University. She is passionate about understanding the human dimensions of complex environmental challenges. Erin is curious about decision-making around water and land, climate change resiliency, and sustainable futures in working landscapes. She is committed to applied interdisciplinary research, the co-production of knowledge and elevating diverse community voices. Erin writes, “Advancing racial equity means not only equitable access and equitable use, but also equitable representation in decision making and positions of leadership and power. I think it relates to this committee and the parks bond in general by acknowledging and addressing structural racial bias, promoting and elevating diverse voices, and engaging with BIPOC communities for decision making.”

Cary Watters, co-chair

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Cary is a member of the Tlingit Tribe, Raven Moiety, and Dog Salmon Clan, and is a lifelong member of the Portland urban Indian community. Early on, family and community members instilled a passion within her for the first foods and other cultural resources of Salmon Nation. She kicked off her career in policymaking with newly elected Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, and she advanced culturally grounded climate justice movement building at the Native American Youth and Family Center. Cary championed contract equity at the Portland Bureau of Transportation, and she now administers the Sustainable Procurement Program with the City of Portland to leverage citywide purchasing power for the good of our people and environment. She holds a Bachelor of Arts & Science degree from the Evergreen State College, and a Master of Urban & Regional Planning degree from Portland State University. Cary is grateful to live near Willamette Falls in Oregon City, where she grounds herself among the plants and wildlife found among the volcanic bluffs.

Tana Atchley Culbertson

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Tana Atchley Culbertson is the Indigenous Community Coordinator at Portland Parks and Recreation. An enrolled citizen of the Klamath Tribes who is of Modoc, Paiute and Karuk descent, Tana’s personal and cultural connections to rivers run deep. Growing up along the Sprague River in southern Oregon, Tana witnessed the effects of the degradation in her home watershed. This motivated Tana to dedicate herself to addressing the environmental harm that afflicts our watersheds and the people who depend upon them. Tana has nearly two decades of experience working in youth education and career development in higher education and tribal settings. She currently serves on the board of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon and the University of Oregon Alumni Association. Tana writes that advancing racial equity means “going beyond performative actions and truly working with BIPOC communities that are impacted by the work of the parks bond.”

Yume Delegato

Pronouns: he, him, his

Yume Delegato is the Senior Communications Coordinator at Prosper Portland, which fosters equitable economic development for the City of Portland. As a lifelong Metro resident, he grew up with a deep connection to and appreciation for the beauty of our region’s natural areas and the need to steward them carefully. Yume has an extensive background in community service, having volunteered for many years as the Artistic Director of PDX Pop Now!, a local music nonprofit, and having served on the River-Canyon Segment Review Committee of the Salmonberry Trail project, the Portland Police Accountability Commission, and the Portland Citizen Review Committee, which he currently chairs. He writes, “The Natural Areas and Capital Program represents an opportunity to affect generational change in how we interact with and steward our public spaces and natural areas. I hope to use my experience in community oversight to make sure that we approach this work in a way that uplifts all stakeholders and puts equity at the forefront of our work.”

Burton T. Edwards

Pronouns: he, him, his

Burt Edwards is the director of programs at ReThink Media. Before joining ReThink in fall 2022, Burt served as the communications director at Friends of the Columbia Gorge, where he led rapid-response public education efforts around the 2017 Eagle Creek fire and directed efforts to center equity, accessibility, and inclusion in Friends’ public engagement programs. He previously worked for over 20 years in Washington, D.C. with leading nonprofit, public, and private sector organizations to create and manage communications campaigns to effectively shape public opinion on pressing policy debates from climate change to international conflict. Burt writes, “As a voter who supported this bond effort and as a Black conservation and communications professional, I am interested both as a chance to give back to my community and to apply my 25+ years of experience in public affairs to ensure this bond both benefits and is accountable to all metro residents, no matter their race, ethnicity or economic background.”

John W. Ferguson

Pronouns: he, him, his

John W. Ferguson is a retired geotechnical engineer who has worked on engineering projects ranging from the Mount St. Helens eruption to flood protection, water quality, landslides, earthquakes and residential and commercial developments. He served in a civic capacity as the chair of a Natural Features Team planning for the urbanization of 10,000 acres in the Damascus area to evaluate and protect high-quality natural areas. He has served on three other urbanization advisory committees. John writes, “I continue to immerse myself in nature, to witness the impacts of climate change, of pollution, and of development and know the urgency to protect what we have left and to provide for as many people as I can the emotional sustenance, spiritual enrichment, and physical joy that the outdoors and nature provides.”

Ananda Gordon-Peabody

Pronouns: She, her, hers

Ananda Gordon-Peabody is a Senior Climate Planner, and her work largely focuses on environmental remediation and community development. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Ananda has a deep understanding of the importance the ecological landscape holds and is passionate about promoting access to nature, traditional foods and traditions, and preserving environmental health. As someone early in her career development, she is intent on centering her work around advancing equitable use, access, and resilience; being part of this committee is a crucial step in that process. She writes, “While parks and green spaces are inherently positive, planners have long ignored the racism that has been an integral part of their creation, especially throughout history. Today, green spaces remain inequitably distributed across the Metro region; promoting access for all communities is essential for public health and environmental justice.”

Sophie Kaady

Pronouns: she, her hers

Sophie Kaady, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, has been deeply engaged with the local Indigenous community since her youth. Passionate about restoring cultural lifeways she has built lifelong relationships with tribal educators and culture bearers. Sophie brings expertise in Brand and Innovation Strategy, Finance, and Accounting to this committee. As a Strategy Consultant for leading creative agencies, she helps organizations define purpose and unlock potential. Her previous roles include Brand Strategy Director, Innovation Consultant, and Certified Public Accountant. Sophie serves on the Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Grant Review Committee and is committed to ensuring public investments are purposeful, equitable, and fiscally responsible. She writes, “I have personally experienced the profound impact that increased access to nature can have on individuals, families and communities. This work has the potential to transform lives. I am heartened by Metro’s continued investments to reduce barriers to nature, responsibly steward public lands, and meaningfully engage the community.”

Georgena Moran

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Georgena Moran is an advocate for people with disabilities and an International Code Council-certified accessibility specialist. She is well versed in the ADA and ABA accessibility standards, applying them to facilities and parks, with an emphasis on hiking trails. Georgena is the founder and project manager of Access Recreation and the co-owner of Access for All, LLC, advocating for the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities. She writes, “I would like to provide a perspective as an avid recreation user living with a disability. I believe people with disabilities have been largely left out of the decision-making process on what denotes equitable access to recreational opportunities and I would like to assist in furthering equity and inclusion by sitting on the advisory committee.”

Shannon R. Shoul

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Shannon R. Shoul works at Nike as the director, procurement sustainability where she leads Nike's ambition to reach 100% renewable electricity in its owned and operated spaces globally by 2025. Her position also supports work to move the company's supply chain into renewables. Shannon was born and raised in Oregon and has more than 20 years of experience in sustainability, spanning nonprofit, media and corporate. She served in Metro's previous Natural Areas Program Performance Oversight Committee. Shannon and her family are avid campers and explorers, enjoying green spaces throughout the West, including those in the Metro area. She writes, “I believe in the power of public spaces to provide solace and connection for our sense of place, our community, and one another.”

Vivek Shandas

Pronouns: he, him, his

Vivek Shandas is a first generation South Asian-American and resident of Northeast Portland. His aim on this committee is to be a voice for those who don’t have time or capacity to take part in decision-making processes about improving environmental health, through the effective management of green spaces. As the founder and director of Portland State University’s Sustaining Urban Places Research (SUPR) Lab, his research and community engagements focus on helping cities develop strategies to address the effects of climate change on its people and infrastructure. He writes, “While the Metro region contains diverse and extensive green spaces, their distribution and community accessibility remain disproportionately skewed towards those with privilege. We can do better.”

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