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The Portland area’s regional government Metro today purchased 181 acres of land near Oregon City to be preserved and protected as a natural area.

The $2.2 million investment, which came from funds out of a $227.4 million natural areas bond passed by voters in 2006, will protect land at Canemah Bluff, an area formed by ancient lava flows and carved by the force of the Missoula floods. Metro now owns 271 acres around the bluff.

According to Metro President Tom Hughes, Metro’s Natural Areas Program looks to identify and acquire key areas that have critical habitat, ample open space and potential restoration possibilities. This land fits that bill, he said.

The new purchase involves two sections of land, one on the northern portion of Canemah Bluff in between pieces of land bought earlier by Metro, as well as portion of land to the south of the bluff. Since the bond passed in 2006, over 2,400 acres of land has been purchased for protection. Each of the purchases have been in the 27 areas around the region that the Metro Council has targeted as key natural areas.