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Pony Creek Greenway Concerned that Pony Creek had become a forgotten resource, the community leaders of North Bend crafted a greenway plan to increase public awareness and stewardship for the Pony Creek watershed. Project Partners
From Wetlands to Wastelands Historically, communities across America thought of wetlands as wastelands. The community of North Bend, Oregon, was no exception and, during the 1960's and early '70's, drained and filled wetland and tideland areas along Pony Creek to construct the Pony Village Mall, North Bend High School and North Bend Junior High School. Over time Pony Creek was channeled into a narrow stream corridor and forgotten. Then, in the late 1990's, a group of concerned citizens started talking about the idea of developing a greenway along Pony Creek to rekindle community awareness and ownership of this forgotten resource, restore and manage wetland areas for their natural values, and provide public access for recreation, education, and pedestrian movement. Project Origins The idea for a greenway along Pony Creek originated with several members of the North Bend School Board who wanted to develop an educational science center on school property adjoining Pony Creek. After several meetings, they expanded the idea to include partnering with the city of North Bend to develop a continuous, non-motorized pathway along Pony Creek throughout the city limits to the Pony Slough estuary. The school district could then build and integrate an educational science center with the proposed pathway.
Jim Pex, of the North Bend School Board, organized the partnership and submitted an application for technical assistance to the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program of the National Park Service. The application was approved and planning began in February, 1998, with the formation of a core 'Planning Team' and a larger 'Advisory Committee'. The Project Catalyzes The city representative on the Planning Team was the Parks and Recreation Director, Kelli Watson, who quickly emerged as the catalyst that made the project a success. Kelli expanded the concept even further to include extending the pathway from Pony Slough Estuary all the way to the northernmost city limits where it could connect to Highway 101 and the world renowned Oregon Coast Bike Route. During the course of the project Kelli coordinated meeting logistics, GIS mapping, public relations and successfully applied for a TEA-21 grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation in the amount of $574,750. Keys to Success Most of the project is on public lands owned by the City of North Bend and the North Bend School District.
Strong support and contributions from Kelli Watson, Parks and Recreation Director, who wrote a successful $575,000 TEA-21 grant application.
Closure of another popular trail in North Bend created public demand Help From the National Park Service Meeting facilitation. Vision and goal setting. Coalition building. Writing a concept plan. In these ways over the course of nearly two years, the National Park Service contributed to North Bend's dream of building a greenway along a once-forgotten creekside resource. This is one example of how the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program works -- it provides short-term staff assistance to local groups to help them solve the problems they face when protecting their community's important resources. If you think the National Park Service could help your group, contact Michael Linde, Program Leader, Rivers & Trails, 909 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 or (206) 220-4113 or visit www.ncrc.nps.gov/rtca/. "The National Park Service was instrumental in bringing together the community partners necessary to make the Pony Creek Trail project a success. Their knowledge and assistance in getting the community 'up-to-speed' and involved with the project was invaluable." -Kelli Watson, City of North Bend What the Future Holds for the Pony Creek Greenway The City Public Works Department is coordinating implementation of the TEA-21 grant with the Oregon Department of Transportation. Design, engineering and permitting will occur first with pathway construction expected to occur during either the 2001 or 2002 construction seasons. For More Information On This Project Contact Bryan Bowden of the National Park Service's Rivers & Trails program at (206) 220-4123 or bryan_bowden@nps.gov. |
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