South Eugene Meadows
Project Description
The City of Eugene purchased approximately 194 acres of land in Lane County, OR in 2012 using funds from a variety of sources including the 2006 Parks and Open Space bond measure, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and Bonneville Power Administration. The landowner also made a generous contribution. The property was identified for purchase to conserve imperiled habitats and rare species, to protect open space, and to provide an additional segment of the Ridgeline Trail. Over the last few years, work has been done to stabilize the site and restore habitat.
Project Map
County: Lane County, OR
Project Size:
- 196.27 acres
Project Sites
- South Eugene Meadows
Goals and Targets
Primary Motivations:
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Conservation Mission
This project is in line with the City of Eugene's Natural Areas and Urban Forestry missions to 1)advance and steward interconnected systems of natural areas, trails, and clean waters, and 2) protect and restore ecological functions and native biological diversity. -
Public Benefit
Protecting publicly owned natural resources, water quality. Connecting habitats and making trail linkages.
Primary Goals:
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Remove invading trees and invasive shrubs from approximately 40 acres of prairie and savanna.
Progress: Significant progress has been made in removing invasive Douglas fir and understory from oak woodland habitats. -
Maintain and expand populations of priority plant species in grasslands
Progress: Removal of non-native and other invasives has opened up habitat for target woodland and grassland species. -
Enhance habitat features for grassland and oak-dependent wildlife species.
Progress: Selective thinning and stabilization project has enhance these habitat features. -
Provide compatible public access to the site.
Progress: Some progress has been made in marking the property, providing additional parking, and rough trail. More is planned. Wildlife friendly fence has been installed.
Consistent With Plans:
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State Wildlife Action Plan
Oak woodlands and aquatic habitats are identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy as priority habitats.
Targeted Habitats:
- Forests and Woodlands
- Deciduous Forests and Woodlands
- Oak Forest and Woodland
- Mixed Hardwoods and Conifer
- Big Leaf Maple, Black Oak, or White Oak with Conifer Forest
- Shrublands and Grasslands
- Grasslands
- Coastal and Valley Grassland
- Wetlands and Riparian Habitats
Targeted Species:
- Fender's Blue Plebejus icarioides fenderi
- Kincaid's Lupine Lupinus oreganus var. kincaidii
- Oregon Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus affinis
- Oregon white oak, Garry oak Quercus garryana
- Western Gray Squirrel Sciurus griseus
- Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
Conservation Actions
| Action | Status | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control encroaching species | Ongoing Management | 2015 | 2015 |
Restore structure of prairie, savanna, and oak woodland habitats. |
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| Create/improve spawning/nesting habitat | Ongoing Management | 2015 | 2015 |
Improve habitat for grassland and cavity-nesting birds |
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| Maintain or create natural stream buffers | Ongoing Management | 2015 | 2015 |
maintain forested buffers |
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| Control invasive plants | Ongoing Management | 2015 | 2015 |
Priority species include Scotch broom, spotted knapweed, Canada thistle, tall oatgrass |
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Outcomes
Is the success of this project's actions being monitored? YesMonitoring Activities
City's ecologists visit the site regularly to assess progress and stability of the site to support native vegetation. Twenty-four monitoring photo points have been established to assess vegetative structure goals. May use active volunteer organizations to conduct bird surveys.
Citation
South Eugene Meadows is managed by the City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division.