Posted by Kevin Matthews on August 24, 2000 at 22:30:20:
-- PLEASE JOIN US FOR TEAM MAPPING THIS SATURDAY --
HELP GET YOUR FAVORITE GREEN PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY
LISTED AS SIGNIFICANT NATURAL RESOURCES-- Please Forward This Message to Your Friends and Groups --
ACTION:Here's a fun way to help save Eugene's significant natural resources!
Turn up at 2700 Hilyard (just south of the Amazon Community Center
buildings) at 10 a.m. Saturday, and go out with a team of two or so
fellow citizens to briefly visit and describe some sites that have
been nominated by citizens as natural sites to be protected by Eugene
and Springfield.Information on nominated nature sites needs to be in to the Citizen
Nature Project by August 31, so THIS IS THE WEEKEND FOR YOU TO HELP
GATHER THE INFORMATION.You don't need to be an expert - you just have to have eyes, ears, and
a pencil!WHEN: Saturday, August 26, 2000 - 10am to 5pm
Plus a brief concluding celebration at 4:30pmWHERE: Meet next to the Amazon Community Center, 2700 Hilyard
WHO: You and your fellow citizens, who are helping to ensure that
little-known, but much-loved trails, scenic areas, birding
spots, educational natural areas, frog habitat, etc. all get
onto the Metro land use planning maps as significant natural
resources.BRING: A clipboard or cardboard to write on.
A sack lunch and water or juice for YOU.
Sunscreen and walking shoes.
A map of Eugene and Springfield, if you have either or both.
A camera, if you have one - NOT necessary.
A GPS unit (IF you have one - NOT necessary).WHAT WE'LL BRING FOR YOU:
The latest BIG MAP of currently listed local nature areas.
A list of additional sites that need to be visited and recorded.
Simple "Nature Forms" for describing each site (also available
online at our web site -0 see below)
Simple instructions for all community mappers.
Come as a group, as a three person survey team ready for assignments,
or ready to map your own favorite spots, or just come as yourself and
we'll help you join a team.BACKGROUND:
After being silent on Goal 5 (natural resource land use planning) for
eleven years, METRO (Eugene, Springfield Metropolitan area) is
suddenly resurrecting the 1989 Natural Resources Survey of (1)
riparian areas; (2) wetlands; and (3) wildlife habitat (i.e., 3 of 15
"Goal 5 Resources") to establish significant natural resource sites"
in the METRO area for purposes of land use planning. Oregon requires
Eugene/Springfield to do Goal 5 planning; METRO is out of compliance
for not having done it; Endangered Species Act for salmon is looming,
and so now all of a sudden, the planning is underway, FAST. The old
1989 survey is being pared down, erasing 1989 proposed sites that have
since been "developed" (i.e., destroyed) since 1989. Aerial photos
and other formal documents are being looked at for site boundaries,
but the budget is small, so Eugene and Springfield staff aren't doing
ground surveys for sites, and most of the METRO map shows NO
significant natural resources in MOST areas of Eugene and Springfield.Which is why the CITIZEN NATURE PROJECT has come into action: To put
on the table for further analysis the many significant natural
resources that exist outside of the few that are currently proposed by
METRO: Favorite birding spots; quiet walking trails; small wetlands;
little-known wildlife habitat - all the places that have no protection
now (e.g., as a park), but SHOULD be protected for the sake of
wildlife, old trees, and native plants; and the sake of Eugene's soul,
sanity, and future generations.All the sites that are generated by AUGUST 31 through the NATURE
PROJECT will be compiled in a single packet and marked on a map by
volunteers with the NATURE PROJECT, and will be conveyed on SEPT. 5
(the deadline) to Kathi Wiederhold (LCOG), who is the project manager
for this Goal 5 process. And from there the process will continue,
with citizen support for protecting these sites.FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the CITIZENS NATURE PROJECT website online at:
http://www.NatureProject.org
Call:
Mary O'Brien
485-6886
mob@darkwing.uoregon.eduor
Kevin Matthews
matthews@artifice.com
345-7421 vox
345-7438 faxCitizens Nature Project
PO Box 1588
Euegene, OR 97440
Citizens Nature Project! http://www.NatureProject.org/nature.html
Neighbors online! http://www.SoutheastNeighbors.org/sen_forum.html
====================================================================
To join the Citizens Nature Project discussion email list, just
send email to "majordomo@NatureProject.org", and in the body of
the message say exactly: subscribe nature
====================================================================
To join the Southeast Neighbors discussion email list, just
send email to "majordomo@SoutheastNeighbors.org", and in the body of
the message say exactly: subscribe discuss
====================================================================
Kevin Matthews, matthews@artifice.com