Save Madrone 

Madrone Wall Chronology:

- 1937: County purchases 44 acres from Anna S. Robertson for $2000

- 1950's - early 1970's: Small sporadic County rock quarry (Hardscrabble Quarry)

- 1970's - 1997: Site is open for outdoor recreational access; rock climbers are good stewards by maintaining hiking trails and collecting rubbish at no cost to County

- 1997: Barton Pit is scheduled for closure

- September 1997: Site closed as expensive conditional use permit was pursued to open rock quarry

-April 1998: Organizational meeting of the Madrone Wall Preservation Committee, letter writing campaign to Board of Commissioners

-November 1998: Commissioners: "public discussion (has) already occurred" and "determined that it is in the public's best interest to continue to use this site as a much needed rock quarry" Citizens not even informed that site considered for open pit mine quarry

- November 1998: MWPC files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requesting public records documenting County mining plans which County denies and later overrules because of legal pressure

- February 1999: MWPC activated Carver-area citizens of County's intention to mine site, served on board of Clackamas River Basin Conservation Alliance (CRBCA)

-March 1999: MWPC incorporates as a 501 (c)(3) organization for public benefit in State of Oregon

-June 1999: MWPC funds plant and animal study through Portland State University documenting over 100 plants

-July 1999 - February 2000: MWPC participates in Clackamas County Aggregate Resources Task Force with evaluated economics of quarrying Madrone Wall, results were inconclusive

-May 2000: MWPC and Clackamas County jointly fund ECO Northwest economic quarry study which determines that it is uneconomical even under the most favorable circumstances to quarry this site; value of preservation not evaluated

-September 2000: Commissioners accept ECO Northwest study findings and drops mining plans "using County forces"

-2001: County institutes successful competitive bid process by which private quarries and transportation companies supply rock and transportation needs saving County thousands of dollars

-January 2003: With mining issue resolved, MWPC proposes the County re-open site to public access and continues seeking permanent protective status

-June 2003: Scheduled Commissioner study session to discuss future of the Madrone Wall is "cancelled indefinitely" by Commissioners

-August 2004: MWPC met with Commissioner Sowa and County Council Jim Coleman to discuss public access and preservation status; Commissioner Sowa commits County resources to determine the future of the Madrone Wall "once and for all"

- March 16, 2005: Commissioners study session held and outcomes include having the Parks Advisory Board meet with community organizations and other interested parties to determine interest in creating a park as well as an appraisal of County-owned Madrone Wall site
Oregonian Article on this meeting (web version 17kb pdf) (scanned version 397 kb)

- Upcoming Events:

- 5 April (Tuesday) at 7:00 p.m.: "Future of Madrone Wall" presentation to the Boring Community Planning Organization (CPO) at the Boring Fire Hall Annex (28655 S.E. Highway 212, Boring) by the Madrone Wall Preservation Committee.

- 12 April (Tuesday) at 7:00 p.m.: Informational meeting at Still Meadow Community (16561 S.E. Marna Road, Clackamas, www.stillmeadowcommunity.com) to discuss the lands along the Clackamas River under public ownership or conserved for their natural resource values, including the Madrone Wall. The Three Rivers Land Conservancy has invited the MWPC to speak along with State Parks, Metro, and Clackamas County.

- 23 April (Saturday) at 10:00 a.m.: A special opportunity to tour the Madrone Wall and see first hand the bogs, wetlands, wildflowers, old growth Douglas fir, Pacific madrone, and inspiring naturally-created three million year old basalt cliff. We are co-organizing this site visit with Three Rivers Land Conservancy (www.trlc.org) and will be first meeting at Still Meadow Community (16561 S.E. Marna Road, Clackamas, www.stillmeadowcommunity.com) at 10:00 a.m. and, from there, carpool to the site. Please RSVP to me if you plan to attend this tour.

- October, 2005: PAB recommendations due to Commissioners

This site created and maintained by the Madrone Wall Preservation Committee
contact information@savemadrone.org
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