PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 3, 2024
Portland Trails is in the middle of a $100,000 emergency fundraising campaign to repair widespread damage to its regional trail system caused by last winter’s storms and prepare it for a more unpredictable climate-driven future. The damage caused by back-to-back-to-back storms shocked trails manager Jamie Parker, a veteran of hundreds of storms during his nearly 20-year career with the nonprofit. Eighteen trails were damaged. A thousand feet of bridges had to be replaced. River banks were washed away. “We’re doing our best to restore the trails, but I’ll be honest, it’s a lot to keep up with,” Parker said. The nonprofit organization estimated that the cost of materials for basic storm damage repairs totaled $750,000, three times what it usually spends to repair and maintain its trails.