Background
The Port filled approximately 65 acres of wetland at the southwest quadrant of Portland International Airport in 1993. The majority of the required wetland mitigation took place at the Jewett Lake site. However, the permit also included upland and riparian mitigation planting at Buffalo Street (approximately 15.6 acres) and Elrod Road (approximately 10 acres). The Buffalo Street site is located off N.E. 42nd Avenue and is surrounded on three sides by the Columbia Slough.

Mitigation Plan
The goal for the Buffalo Street site was to create linkage or connectivity of existing natural areas along the Columbia's south shore. The plan included enhancing the slough banks, riparian woodland and upland meadow of the site to provide cover to the slough and to provide nesting habitat, food and cover for a variety of terrestrial and avian species. Detailed location and design of the plantings were approved by the agencies in January 1994.

Status
Monitoring of the site has been taking place since 1995. In 2003 the permitting agency, the Department of State Lands, signed off on the success of the site, relieving the Port of further vegetation monitoring. In 2007, the Port installed about 1,000 new native trees and shrubs along the west fenceline where Himalayan blackberry had been removed. The new plantings will serve to enhance about 0.3 acres, buffering the site from the adjacent golf course. More than 70 species of birds, including dark-eyed junco, Wilson snipe, great blue heron, northern flicker, common yellow-throat, red-winged blackbird and willow flycatcher, have been observed on the site. Other wildlife observed on the site include common garter snake, Pacific treefrog, coyote and black-tailed deer. Weed control of teasel, thistle and blackberry is ongoing.