St. Helens officials discuss boundaries, utilities and ecology for proposed Woodland Reserve

City officials and members of the Parks and Trails and Landmarks and Trails commissions on Wednesday continued a months‑long discussion about a proposed Woodland Reserve on city‑owned land near Milton Creek, stressing the need to finalize boundaries before the city can commit to preservation.

The discussion matters because the parcel sits adjacent to industrially desirable sites and Port property, and the council must decide whether portions should be reserved for park and trail uses or retained as potential industrial land.

During the joint meeting, Parks and Trails commissioners and staff presented aerial maps, parcelization concepts and riparian buffers to show how a Woodland Reserve boundary might be drawn. Daniel April of the Landmarks and Trails Commission told the group that the proposal “has been quietly in the works for a couple of years” and that “the timeliness of preserving the location is paramount” because nearby land is likely to be developed. Commissioners and councilors weighed those preservation goals against economic data…