Working with Public Land Managers Case Study:  Madrone Wall

2019 National Climbing Advocacy Summit – Access Fund12 October 2019, The Mountaineers

Seattle, Washington

MWPC Speaker:Keith K. Daellenbach:  Secretary/Treasurer, Director, Co‐Founder

• Madrone Wall Preservation Committee (MWPC)

• Founded 1997, Incorporated 1999

• 501(c)(3) non profit, all volunteer, Oregon organization

• E.I.N. # 93‐1267537

• Address:  5815 N.E. 31st Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97211

• kdaellenbach@gmail.com

• www.facebook.com/madronewall

MWPC Organizational Goals:

1.  Stop quarrying and development

2. Re‐establish recreational (including rock climbing) and educational access to publicly owned site

3. Work for permanent protective status as park

4. Long‐term “Friends of” parks advocacy partner with County once site receives protective status

Park Land Needed in Growing Area:• Metro growing at double the national rate

• Madrone Wall easily accessible to half of Oregon's population• UGB expansion in 2003 and incorporation of Damascus in 2004

Metro, “The Nature of 2040”, Portland, Oregon

Madrone Wall

UGB

Madrone Wall ‐ Amazing Civic Treasure44 acres publicly owned by Clackamas County adjacent to County Scenic Road 224 between Carver and Barton

Urban Growth Boundary

Madrone Wall

Damascus

Clackamas River

Carver

Madrone Wall ‐ Amazing Civic Treasure• Uncommon stand of mature Pacific madrone trees 

• Over one hundred native plant species

• Diverse ecosystem including old growth Douglas fir

Madrone Wall ‐ Amazing Civic Treasure• Rare rocky bluff unique in northern Willamette Valley

• Natural basalt cliff face soars over 80 feet and 1,000 feetlong, over 100 established climbing routes

Jonathan House, Portland Tribune

Madrone Wall ‐ Amazing Civic Treasure• Scenic vistas of lower Clackamas River supporting world‐class salmon and steelhead habitat

• Clear cool tributary stream flowing into federally‐protected National Wild & Scenic River ½ mile away

www.westmorlandphoto.com

Endorsing Preservation and Park:

Clackamas County CPO’s:

- Grant Park

- Boring

- Rock Creek

- Eagle Creek-Barton

- South Clackamas

Friends of Mount Hood

Friends of Barton Park & the Scenic Clackamas River

Local Businesses:

- Carver Store

- Carver Hangar

- Carver Curves Café

- Rock Garden Tavern

- Barton Food Mart

Cooper Spur Wild and Free Coalition

CITIZENS

(>1,250 letters to County Commissioners)

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley

City Comm. Dan Saltzman (Portland Park Commissioner)

Park Land Needed in Growing Area:• Social imperative to secure wild treasure for futuregenerations ‐ NOW• Existing parks are NOT the final tally of what must bepreserved for a growing Metro area

Lewis & Clark  Est. 1936

Forest Park   Est. 1949

Tryon Creek Est. 1975

Madrone Wall Park Opportunity:• Land is already Public: NO land acquisition costs• Low cost for primitive park improvements with on‐site parking• Protect geologic wonder, >100 native plant species, and watershedwith high scenic value over lower Clackamas Basin• Diverse outdoor recreational and educational opportunities includingrock climbing, trail hiking, service projects, and wildflowers• Damascus brought into UGB and will grow from 10K to 60K population(~Beaverton) with dearth of public parks• Anchor site along Clackamas Bluffs for future East Side Big Park

Pete Cassam Don Jacobson

Madrone Wall Preservation Chronology:• 1937: County purchases 44 acres for $2000

• 1950's ‐ early 1970's: Small sporadic County rock quarry (Hardscrabble) infront of natural cliff

• 1970's ‐ 1997: Public site open; visited and maintained by rock climbers andother outdoor recreational enthusiasts

• September 1997: Madrone Wall is closed by County which spends >$250Kto pursue ill‐conceived permit for County hard rock quarry; grassrootsMadrone Wall Preservation Committee formed

• 1998: Commissioners: “public discussion already occurred” and“determined that it is in the public's best interest to continue to use this siteas a much needed rock quarry” MWPC informs citizens that site is monthsaway from being an open pit quarry

Madrone Wall Preservation Chronology:

• 1999: All volunteer MWPC incorporates as a 501(c)(3) organizationfor public benefit in Oregon

• 1999: MWPC funds plant survey with PSU documents over 100plants

• 2000: MWPC and Clackamas County jointly fund ECO Northwesteconomic quarry study: “uneconomical even under the most favorablecircumstances to quarry this site”

• 2000: Commissioners accept ECO Northwest study findings anddrops mining plans “using County forces“

Madrone Wall Preservation Chronology:

• 2004: County commits resources to determine the future of theMadrone Wall "once and for all“

• 2005: Parks Advisory Board (PAB) conducts 9 month survey ofMadrone Wall future, > 500 citizens write in

• 2006: Board of County Commissioners unanimously accept PABrecommendations:

1.) Do not sell site for private quarry or trophy home housingdevelopment2.) High priority for park creation at Madrone Wall3.) Keep the public site posted “No Trespassing” until site can bereopened as a park

• 2008: Park master planning creates Final Concept Design

• February 2009: County Commissioners approve Final ConceptDesign AND Logging of upper bluff

2009:  Final Concept Design/Madrone Wall:

• Quarter mile vehicular and pedestrian gravelaccess road

• Dispersed gravel parking area for 20 vehicles• Activities: rock climbing, trail hiking, wildflower

viewing, stewardship, education (geology,ecology), etc.

Madrone Wall Preservation Chronology:• March 2009: MWPC Proposes Saving County $$$

• Oregon National Guard construction training of soldiers for parkconstruction• Pro bono, Professionally‐registered civil engineer to createconstruction engineering documents

• October 2009: Public Hearing of Clackamas County Park’s ConditionalUse Permit to allow park to be opened

• 2009 ‐ 2010: Three Volunteer Trail Building Days with REI and AccessFund grants – Limited Rock Climbing!!!

• 2010: Peregrine Falcons found to be nesting at Madrone Wall;seasonal closure of future park to accommodate

• 2012: MWPC supports County Parks fuel reduction program at site

• 2013: County Parks removes Metro’s $64K provisionally set aside forMadrone Wall to Springwater Corridor project cost overrun

• 2014: County Parks stipulates requirement of MOU between MWPCand CCP. MWPC submits draft MOU to CCP but it is ignored.

Volunteer Restoration Events (2009 ‐ 2010):

800 donated hours!!!

Restoring Ecosystem:

Madrone Wall Preservation Chronology:• January 2015: MWPC reaches out to Commissioner Martha Schraderfor help who initiates discussion with citizen Parks Advisory Board (PAB)• April 2015: 500 letters sent to Commissioners from around U.S. andPAB unanimously approves moving forward with park creation plans• June 2015: T. Y. Lin International completes detailed engineeringconstruction documents. Submitted to Oregon National Guard.• November 2015: Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs$88,590 grant. Other funds committed to Park: MWPC, (2) privateindividuals, Mazamas, AF, AAC, County Parks.• February 2016: Oregon National Guard commits to project.• March 2016: Board of County Commissioners unanimous vote (5 to 0)to “move forward with development and construction of Madrone Wallproject” up to $232,590• August 2016: ONG construction of access road and onsite parking• November 2016: Trail building for three weekends• October 2017: PARK OPENS!

Future: “Friends of …” stewardship (trails, invasive species, litter,education, outreach, parks advocacy)

2015:  Final Design for Madrone Wall Park:

Oregon National Guard (August 2016):

Volunteer Restoration Events (November 2016):

3 weekends (6 days) 120 volunteers 270 rock steps installed 500 yards new trail 750 donated hours (Value: $16K)

Park Opened:  21 October 2017

Framework for Productive Interaction• Persistence, take the long view

• Have a mission statement and stick to it

• Be audacious; by nature climbers are

• Stand for something rather than against something

• Correct misrepresentation of facts immediately

• Get the public involved and foster partners

• Find and foster working partnership with public servants

• Know when to push and know when to assist

• Work respectfully and in good faith

• The meeting “after” the meeting is often the most important

• Break through bureaucracy by solving problems for public agency

• Don’t ever forget that people – individual people – make or break an outcome

• Thank your lucky stars

Inspirational Quotes:• “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason 

for us not to try and win.” Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird

• “This is what it’s like to be the little guy up against the Giant.  You have to know everything about the Giant and the Giant doesn’t even know you’re there.”  Rachel Louise Snyder

• “If you don’t set deadlines in this town, things don’t happen.  The default position is inertia, because doing something always creates some people who are unhappy.  There’s always going to be some interest out there that decides, ‘You know what?  The status quo is working for me a little bit better.”  President Barack Obama

• “Heroes are not giants statues framed against a red sky.  They are people who say:  This is my community, and it’s my responsibility to make it better.”  Former Oregon Governor Tom McCall

• “Never give in, never give in, never never, never never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”  Winston Churchill

• “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead

Questions/Comments ?• kdaellenbach@gmail.com• www.facebook.com/madronewall

Thank You!