Parks

Portland General Electric’s Harborton Reliability Project could remove about 400 mature trees to upgrade one transmission line and build a stretch of new line.

Saving programs that serve Portland kids has been a central theme in the first two public budget sessions, held in Southeast Portland’s District 3 and East Portland’s District 1 last week.

The agency says there were nearly 53.85 million estimated visits last year. That’s up 3% from the year before for coastal parks. Other parks had slightly fewer visits.

People cited physical barriers as the biggest hurdle when it came to visiting parks, according to an equity survey conducted by the Lane County Parks Department.

Brian Gibbs was an environmental educator at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. His job was among those nixed by the Trump administration as it pushes to shrink federal spending.

The 268-acre park started as a filbert orchard in 1892, and is recognized as the first commercial filbert orchard in the United States. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is increasing the day-use parking fees at 25 parks from $5 to $10.

The Yaquina Bay lighthouse, which sits 161 feet above sea level, is believed to be the oldest structure in Newport.

Parks staff say that to maintain the current level of park services and programs funded by the levy, which expires in 2026, it would need to ask voters to not only renew the levy but increase it.

Oregon parks waive day-use parking fee on the day after Thanksgiving for "Green Friday."