Vaagen Timbers’ Post

Polk Springs Creek gets a new look! The Washington County Natural Resources Department successfully restored Polk Springs at its location along CTH P to its pre-1941 meandering stream location. This restoration project will improve habitat and water quality of Polk Springs which flows into the Cedar Creek, an impaired waterbody. Washington County would like to thank the Fund for Lake Michigan for providing critical funding to make this project happen. Read more about the project in the news release: https://lnkd.in/gKNjVxhx

It’s an honor to work in partnership with Metro and our partners, American Rivers, North Clackamas Watersheds Council, the City of Milwaukie and ODOT on the Kellogg Creek Restoration project in Milwaukie! Big news today! ———- Metro Council approves $10 million in grant funding to benefit fish and wildlife and the community near Kellogg Creek in Milwaukie PORTLAND– On Dec. 12 Metro Council unanimously approved $10 million of grant funding to benefit fish and wildlife and strengthen community access to nature near Kellogg Creek in Milwaukie. The Kellogg Creek Restoration project centers around removal of the obsolete Kellogg Dam. The project will also replace the 89-year-old Kellogg Creek Bridge on Highway 99E, as the dam forms part of the bridge's foundation. Removing this barrier and restoring the creek will provide fish access to 17 miles of habitat, create safe passage between downtown Milwaukie and the Willamette River, and allow the City of Milwaukie to create a public natural area where people can recreate and access nearby trails. “Willamette River salmon, steelhead, as well as Pacific lamprey will be top of the list of beneficiaries because this area is vital rearing and migration habitat,” said Neil Schulman, director of the North Clackamas Watersheds Council, one of the agencies heading the project. “So will people who live, work, and go to school in Milwaukie.” Metro Council approved funding for the restoration project through the Large-Scale Community Visions Program at their most recent council meeting on Thursday. The grant program is part of the 2019 parks and nature bond measure approved by voters. Projects funded through this program must be a capital project, devote at least $2 million of that to habitat restoration and engage with historically marginalized communities, among other requirements. “To have that area reestablished as a part of nature that ebbs and flows is going to be healthy for the environment and healthy for us as humans who live next to it,” said Metro Councilor Christine Lewis, who represents District 2 where the project is located. "Projects like Kellogg are complex, and they require an extremely coordinated approach with strong partnerships between the entities that can deliver the project,” McEwan said. This project is also a priority for local tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Both tribes participate on the Kellogg Project Technical Advisory Committee. The Large-Scale Community Visions Program offers a unique opportunity for additional funding, as agencies working on this project can leverage the $10 million awarded by Metro to access around $50 million in federal funding. “This Metro funding is absolutely critical to getting a project constructed,” Schulman said. Current plans have construction starting in 2028, with substantive completion by 2030. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gQ8N4XAF.

The Waverly Avenue Bridge in the Village of Mamaroneck is now open to traffic, marking a significant milestone in local flood mitigation and infrastructure improvements. The $5.0 million project, led by the Town of Mamaroneck with funding from Westchester County and New York State, replaces an outdated structure with a modern design that enhances community safety and mobility. County Executive George Latimer said: “The new Waverly Avenue Bridge is an investment in the future of Mamaroneck. This project represents how we can work together to address longstanding infrastructure challenges and prepare for the environmental realities of tomorrow.” Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Flooding has long been a challenge in this area, and Westchester County’s over $2 million investment in this project is part of a comprehensive effort to build safer, stronger neighborhoods. The Waverly Avenue Bridge is an example of the impact we can make together.” Read more here: https://ow.ly/CM8E50UvbKc

Rebuilding, Restoring, and Moving Forward! As communities recover from the recent fires, the focus shifts to rebuilding not just what was lost, but coming back stronger, safer, and more efficiently. While official cleanup efforts remain in government hands, IRS Demo is here to support businesses outside the affected zones—helping them refresh, repurpose, and prepare for what’s next. From interior demolition to sustainable material diversion, our team is committed to ensuring a smooth and responsible transition, minimizing disruption and maximizing impact. True resilience is built not only in what we rebuild, but in how we come together to move forward. Challenges test our strength, but how we rebuild defines the future. . . . . . #demolition #fires #la #construction #demo #palisadesfire #lafires #eatonfire #rebuild #lastrong #community

Why Brownfields Matter for Affordable Housing Brownfields—former industrial sites that need cleanup—are often overlooked, but they present a real opportunity. Cleaning them up isn’t just about the environment; it’s about unlocking land for much-needed affordable housing. At Tapestry Development Group, we see the potential to turn these neglected spaces into thriving communities. By transforming brownfields, we can create homes that are not only affordable but also sustainable, giving more families a safe place to call home. What untapped opportunities do you see for housing in your community?

I look at this article and double down on my plan to elevate the foundations of my upcoming projects substantially above grade. Slab on grade building entry heights have been a modern “luxury”, really taking off in the 1950-60s. Notice that most pre 1950 buildings had foundations that stuck up a few feet above grade, requiring stairs to enter? Maybe they knew something we have forgotten, that no matter where you are, flooding is a possibility. What’s even more tricky to navigate is that the only reason many of my(and other folks) multifamily projects in the northeast sit low relative to grade is due to ADA requirements. It’s not typical in the northeast for a single family to sit at grade, like it is in the south. The elevated foundation reduces the likelihood of flood water rising to a point where a home can be swept off its foundation. We as an industry have to change our foundation plans NOW. Water is rising, it’s blissful ignorance, and frankly gross negligence to design without this consideration(unless you are the very top of a hill). #climatechange #resiliency #architecture #futureproof #longevity

In Laurel, Delaware, projects to fight stormwater runoff and shoreline erosion are all part of the bigger picture. Learn how grant money from EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program is helping revitalize downtown Laurel, protect Broad Creek—a Bay tributary—and demonstrating the value of green infrastructure at the same time: https://lnkd.in/eic_w8wt

We are continuing to invest and strengthen our local infrastructure with new funding coming to Oxford and West Chester boroughs to improve their stormwater management systems. In Oxford, the funding will build three rain garden bump-outs along East Mt. Vernon St to manage stormwater runoff, calm traffic, and create a streetscape. In the Borough of West Chester, the project will support the repair or replacement of existing brick stormwater infrastructure, some of which is more than a century old. I'm grateful to work with all our partners to secure this funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority and build a climate-resilient infrastructure to manage runoff, prevent flooding, and mitigate pollution.

The Forestry Commission has confirmed to me that the grant threshold for the PA6 Woodland Management Plan capital item in Countryside Stewardship has indeed been lowered to 0.5ha minimum woodland size. Happy days for small woodland owners! And a welcome outcome for those who have been lobbying for sometime about woodland grant changes. It remains to be seen if this threshold will be carried through to Higher Tier items https://lnkd.in/exVxSYi7

#Wildfires Jasper, Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lytton, Paradise and Concow, CA, Lahaina, Enterprise, NWT, … it’s only the beginning of the great burn off #ClimateChange the fix is #renewableenergytransition. #ClimateEmergency. large scale adaptation helps.