Support PRESERVATION of the Madrone Wall
What
: Bouldering preview and fundraiserWhere:
Portland Rock Gym (2034 S.E. 6th Avenue and Lincoln Street, Portland, Oregon 97214, 503/232-8310)When:
26 October 2000, ThursdayActivities:
costume party, bouldering preview, gear auction (Boreal, Sterling, Metolius, Black Diamond, Yakima, etc.) and a Martin Tull hair-shaving extravaganza (when fundraising goal is met!)FUNDRAISING Goal:
$5,000Madrone Wall Background
:The Madrone Wall is Portland’s finest crag and has been revered by the local climbing community for decades because of superb climbing routes of all levels – both trad. and sport, close proximity to an ever-expanding Portland, and the unrivaled scenic views of the lower Clackamas River basin. This natural basalt cliff face is surrounded by unique Pacific madrone and Douglas-fir forests and thriving wetlands and is located in Clackamas County 2.2 miles east of Carver off Highway 224. Three years ago, the County, which owns the land, quietly tried to railroad through a conditional use permit that would bring the Madrone to an irreversible and outrageous demise as a hard rock quarry. They spent $250,000 and were only weeks away from applying for the permit. The local climbing community reacted quickly to legitimize our common goals and incorporated as the Madrone Wall Preservation Committee (MWPC), an Oregon public benefit corporation.
The MWPC’s Fight and What’s Next
:The MWPC informed local-area citizens of the County’s intentions – they weren’t even aware that the County planned to open a quarry in their own back yard! We have banded with these same citizens as part of the Clackamas River Basin Conservation Alliance. We litigated a public records fight with the County and won, which exposed the County’s well organized and financed plans to destroy the Madrone. In representing the local recreational community, we have worked as a fair-minded and farsighted advocacy group with the County to identify other aggregate resource opportunities as well as support its recreational and scenic value.
Recently the County Commissioners met and accepted the recommendations of an economic study that the MWPC helped fund: that it is uneconomical to quarry the Madrone and that other more promising aggregate resource options exist. This is a long way from where we were three years ago! Now the MWPC is actively supporting exploring the sale or transfer of this County-owned land to ultimately permanently preserve this unique part of Oregon’s heritage and open it once again to rock climbing.
This Fight is Expensive!:
This protracted and expensive campaign is far from being won, but finally there is some real hope. Even with the generous financial aid of The Access Fund, Mazamas, Ptarmigans, and some individuals, we still need to raise additional funds to continue with our effective strategy of financing botanical surveys, economic studies, and legal fees from Portland’s top environmental attorneys. Our current goal is to raise $5,000 and as a public benefit corporation we want you to be aware of how seriously we take your contributions and how carefully we will use each dollar you donate to this fight.
PRG Fundraiser:
Martin Tull, PRG’s gym manager, is coordinating a fundraising event to support preservation of the Madrone. This month of fundraising will culminate in a public gathering at PRG on October 26th with a costume party, bouldering preview, gear auction (starts at 9 p.m.), and a beard and hair shaving extravaganza of the indefatigable Mr. Tull if our goal of $5,000 is met. Please join us or, alternatively, if you are not able to make it but would like to contribute, please make donations to the Madrone Wall Preservation Committee and send them to us c/o the PRG. Note that while we are a tax-exempt organization, donations to the MWPC are not tax deductible because we cannot become a 501(c)(3) organization and still lobby.
Final Note:
Address changes are requested so we can keep our mailing list current. If you would like to be put on our current mailing list (or know of friends who would be), please drop us a note (MWPC, 3129 N.E. 65th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97213, www.bwalsh.com/madrone) or send an email to directly to kdaellenbach@att.net.