Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of columns titled ‘Knowing our Willamette.’
Secretary of State Tom McCall and state Treasurer Robert Straub had a new idea in the 1960s that still makes tremendous sense today. They decided to collaborate as strong leaders in their respective parties to begin the process of cleaning up the Willamette, creating continuous parks called greenways and ultimately seeing Oregon’s economy not just based on dollars and cents but importantly stewarding our Willamette. I didn’t know of their actions at that time because I was a student at West Linn High School, but now I know and the truth shall set us free.
Growing up on our Willamette and then reaching out to fellow students to plant native vegetation to restore riverbanks taught us about our Willamette. We, West Linn students, also collaborated with Lake Oswego students in our ecology efforts but we had no idea that then-Republican candidate for governor Tom McCall and his fellow state Treasurer Democrat Robert Straub were collaborating to create greenways while they worked together to figure out how to clean up the river and showcase a new Willamette. In the ‘60s they worked together, each in a strong emphasis on the environment and to expand Oregon’s economy. They made their focus the 250-mile-long river, its cities and riverside communities with intent to see everyone participate in the river’s clean-up. Growing up on the filthiest river in the West during the 1960s and 1970s taught us about how bad people can abuse a natural resource and what it took to clean it up.
Straub and McCall — even though they were from distinctly different parties — saw the obvious that Oregon’s premiere north-south river was in trouble. McCall, with his connections and the newly involving interest in environment protection (circa 1970), brought forward efforts to establish water quality, agencies, natural resource protection groups — all with an intent of empowering people under government leadership to begin the effort. Straub, with his many years of experiences as a state senator and then a grasp on the states’ finances as treasurer, knew what might be feasible and how to proceed.
Both wished to see a continuous park area on both sides of the river if it was possible and amends could be made to people working the land in agriculture and forestry. Both sought the guidance and intervention of government in the founding of the land conservation and development commission. They wrote each other often about the challenges along the way of our Willamette, but instead of disagreeing they agreed on a process involving careful land use planning and decision making that could benefit not just the river but Oregon in general.
Future articles in this series “Knowing Our Willamette” will go into greater detail about their efforts, the early Native peoples and their solutions — which were always careful stewardship — and the coming of the settlers and industry.
It was Democrats, Republicans and independents who really made our Willamette what it is. It’s time for this to be revisited and that is what we are going to do.
I am Jerry Herrmann, a naturalist and historian taught by many great professionals and through hands-on leading over a hundred tours of the Willamette River over the last few decades. I directed the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center and then Rivers of Life Center thereafter. I and my friends will be telling the story of the Willamette and how we as people who didn’t know what to do were guided to help the Willamette.
