Next up is an interview with Rick Roth, a Portland State University grad student doing research on an article for Metroscape. Metroscape is a publication for the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies. Rick's writing an article on Sauvie Island, a farming area and state wildlife refuge just 10 miles from downtown Portland. Its upstream tip is situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. With the increased population growth in the region, tensions have grown over recreational use on the island.
Some islanders view off-island visitors as a nuisance, at best.
Rick is interested in exploring various perspectives on what makes Sauvie Island special to the region. Greenspaces like Elk Rock Island offer important green relief to the city. In other words, Sauvie Island is, in fact, unique in the region. I suggest that one key to ensuring the island does not get overused as the region continues to grow is to have a comprehensive system of greenspaces and trails spread equitably throughout the region, so that people will have plenty of places to view nature near their homes. My hunch is that if people only went to Sauvie Island for experiences unique to the island and had access to other recreational and wildlife viewing opportunities, we might be able to take some of the pressure off our treasured landscapes like Sauvie Island and Forest Park.