Leach Botanical Garden, a 17-acre public garden in Southeast Portland, said it is laying off half of its staff and has drastically cut its educational and cultural programs to avoid closure after the city of Portland decided not to renew a $350,000 subsidy, the nonprofit that manages the garden said Tuesday.
The historic garden has for 20 years relied at least in part on Portland Parks & Recreation money to stay open, Leach Garden Friends said in a statement. The most recent funding expired last year, and a new agreement has not been reached, leading to cuts scheduled to take effect Feb. 22.
Portland Parks & Recreation said that in 2022 the city and the nonprofit that runs the garden agreed to a different funding model that would shift responsibility away from the city and to the nonprofit…