RiverBend
Easement
The RiverBend easement was donated to McKenzie River Trust in 2012. This easement protects public access between the hospital and local neighborhoods along with the important habitat of this floodplain forest.
Healing on the land
Preserving Community Health
Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend is the region’s largest hospital, serving a six-county area. The hospital contains approximately 1.5 million square feet of medical services facilities and employs approximately 2,500 people.
The RiverBend easement area protects riparian habitat in the lower McKenzie watershed. Here, a multi-use trail that invites people to follow the McKenzie River. The paved multi-use trail serves hospital staff, patients and their family and friends, and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods. This area is maintained by the Willamalane Parks and
Recreation District. Several benches are placed along the trail, offering places for users to rest and reflect in the outdoors.
Let Nature Nurture
Community and environmental health are intertwined. Clean water and air are directly linked to community health outcomes and science has shown us again and again that spending time in nature supports our mental and emotional well-being. The RiverBend easement permanently protects critical riparian habitat on the McKenzie River while also providing space for recreation and retreat in nature, where people and the land can heal together.