Environmental Stewardship

 Committee

The mission of the Environmental Stewardship Committee is to responsibly enhance and improve livability through care for the natural environment focusing on education, advocacy, and community involvement.

Meetings are *usually* the third Thursday of each month

Where: Hideaway Bakery, 3377 E. Amazon Drive

When: 10am

 

Focus topics at current & past have included:

  • Amazon Creek restoration
  • City-wide composition options
  • Single-hauler waste removal options
  • Negative effects of two-cycle motor landscaping equipment
  • Recycling options
  • Native landscape preservation
  • Maintaining/creating a fire-safer landscape
  • Climate associated livability issues

All ideas are welcome and the ESC is open to all that are interested. If you would like to join or have questions, please email Devon Mann at manndevonsen@gmail.com

Environmental Stewardship Committee – February 2024 Report

The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) meets on the third Thursday of each month at 10am at Hideaway Bakery. The meeting was held on Thursday, February 24th. There were 3 people in attendance.

We discussed:

  • ESC ideas for the 2024 Work Plan:
    • Continue to work with the City of Eugene Parks and Open space personnel on the Amazon Creek stewardship project (Confirmed: April 13th), which will include remulching, restaking and weeding of trees planted last year.
      • Explore getting City funding for something like t-shirts to give away
      • The City has swag too
  • John will continue to update ESC on state rulemaking for plastics legislation that was passed in 2023
  • Track what is happening with City council and the Lane County Commissioners that relates to environmental issues and write up to disseminate to neighbors via electronic mailing (mailchimp)
  • Recruitment – how do we get more people involved with the ESC?
      • Talk to people at each event to gauge interest
      • What about a different meeting time and/or have meetings via Zoom?
  • Communicate to neighbors what the City of Eugene’s Sustainability Commission does and their work plan for 2024. Using electronic communication (mailchimp) could be a good way to get this news out.
    • Collaborate with SEN’s Transportation Committee to research/explore public transportation options to the airport.

Environmental Stewardship Committee – January 2024 Report

The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) meets on the third Thursday of each month at 10am at Hideaway Bakery. The meeting was held on January 25th and 4 people were in attendance.

We discussed:

Amazon Creek Tree Planters Rock!

11/2023 Amazon Creek Tree Planters

Twenty-three Southeast Eugene neighbors, friends, family members, and Parks & Open Space personnel participated in phase 3 of a native tree planting project along an upper stretch of Amazon Creek in SE Eugene on Saturday, November 18th.

This event and the two other earlier events in January and March are part of the larger Upper Amazon Creek Shading Plan which will allow habitat restoration and enhance biodiversity along with increasing the tree canopy.

Well over 200 native trees have now been planted and re-planted this year!

BUT our work is not done…be on the lookout for future volunteer stewardship opportunities next spring along this same stretch of Amazon Creek when we will be mulching, weeding, pruning, and re-staking these tree wells in advance of the mowing season so that we can maximize the survival rate of our newly planted trees.

Thanks again to everyone who came out to help & to Parks & Open Space!!!

 

 

 

Oregon Legislative Update for Plastics

Reduction & Recycling

October 2023

Prepared by John Ostrom, SEN At Large Board Member

Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act

The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act will update Oregon’s outdated recycling system by building on local community programs and leveraging the resources of producers to create an innovative system that works for everyone. The Oregon legislature passed the Recycling Modernization Act (Senate Bill 582) during the 2021 legislative session. The new law became effective Jan. 1, 2022 and recycling program changes will start in July 2025.

About the New Law

This system-wide update will make recycling easier for the public to use, expand access to recycling services, upgrade the facilities that sort recyclables, and create environmental benefits while reducing social and environmental harms, such as plastic pollution. Producers and manufacturers of packaged items, paper products and food serviceware will pay for many of these necessary improvements and help ensure recycling is successful in Oregon.

Implementation

The start-up phase will span multiple years with extensive planning, research, rulemaking and engagement with interested parties. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will keep people informed and seek input through several different channels throughout that time.

DEQ First Rulemaking Process

(Recycling 2023 Rulemaking)

DEQ is undertaking rulemaking to clarify and implement the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act of 2021. The Act requires producers of packaging, paper products and food service ware to support and expand recycling services in Oregon for their products. This is the first of two anticipated rulemakings related to the Act. For this first rulemaking, DEQ plans to propose rules related to topics including producer responsibility program plan content; DEQ’s administrative fees; the funding and reimbursement of local governments for eligible recycling-related expenses; and the materials suitable for recycling collection in Oregon.

DEQ will present proposed rules for consideration by the Environmental Quality Commission on Thursday, November 16. The proposed rules relate to the obligations of producer responsibility organizations, local government compensation, and materials acceptance lists. The public comment period is closed and the Commission will not accept any testimony on the proposed rules. The hybrid meeting will be held via Zoom and in-person at DEQ Headquarters in Portland. Information about the process to develop the rules is posted on the Recycling Updates 2023 rulemaking website. Proposed rule language, a summary of public comments and a response to those comments will be posted on the Environmental Quality Commission’s website at least one week prior to the meeting. Sign up for the EQC mailing list to be notified when the proposed rules are posted.

DEQ Second Rulemaking Process

(Recycling 2024 Rulemaking)

DEQ is undertaking the second of two rulemakings to clarify and implement the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act of 2021. The Act requires producers of packaging, paper products and food service ware to support and expand recycling services in Oregon for their products. In this second rulemaking, DEQ plans to propose rules on multiple topics, including permitting standards and fees related to commingled recycling processing facilities; living wages and supportive benefits for commingled recycling processing facility workers; generator-facing contamination; covered product exemptions; standards for environmental impact evaluation and disclosure; and a waste prevention and reuse fee. DEQ plans to bring proposed rules to the EQC in 2024.

The second rulemaking to clarify aspects of the Recycling Modernization Act is well underway. At its next meeting, the Rulemaking Advisory Committee will discuss several rule concepts related to commingled recycling processing facilities, including the permit program, obligations related to responsible end markets, and an updated concept related to living wage and supportive benefits. The next meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 1. For more information and to register to attend Rulemaking Advisory Committee meetings, visit Recycling 2023 Rulemaking.

Plastics Reduction – Oregon Legislative Actions Full Session 2023

SB 543 (Enrolled): (Prohibits food vendor from using polystyrene foam container in sales of prepared food)

  • Passed Senate 4/3/23; signed by Senate Pres. 4/27/23
  • Passed House 4/26/23; signed by Speaker 5/1/23
  • Governor signed 5/8/23
  • Effective Date: January 1, 2024
  • Becomes Operative: January 1, 2025

SB 545 (Enrolled): (Directs Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules allowing restaurants to allow consumers to fill consumer owned container with food)

  • Passed Senate 3/15/23; signed by Senate Pres. 4/27/23
  • Passed House 4/26/23; signed by Speaker 5/1/23
  • Governor signed 5/8/23
  • Effective Date: May 8, 2023
  • OHA to adopt rules that take effect no later than June 30, 2024

SB 544: (Directs Environmental Quality Commission to establish program for source reduction of single-use plastic food ware and single-use packaging and achieve 25 percent source reductions compared to 2023 levels by 2030)

  • Referred to Senate Energy and Environment then Joint Ways and Means 1/9/23
  • 2 Public Hearings held (2/14 & 2/16/23)
  • In Committee Upon Adjournment

Environmental Stewardship Committee – October 2023 Report

The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) meets on the third Thursday of each month at 10am at Hideaway Bakery. The meeting was held on October 19th and 6 people were in attendance.

We discussed:

  • City of Eugene Sustainability Commission update:
  • The Sustainability Commission finalized the workplan for FY 2024. There are 9 topics that will be addressed, discussed and/or presented in 2024.
  • This final 2024 workplan following approval by City Council in November, will be posted on the ESC section of the SEN website as well as the 2023 workplan summary.
  • Amazon Creek Stewardship update:
  • The next tree planting along Amazon Creek, replacing dead trees (about 40) with potted alders and other species, and doing some gentle weeding and invasive species removal around all the tree wells, is set for Saturday, November 18th, rain or shine. The group will meet at the bridge over Amazon Creek near Kincaid Park.
  • Fifteen people have RSVP’d to help at this event.
  • The event details will not be included in the next SEN electronic mailing.
  • Lights Out Campaign (through Lane County Audubon Society):
  • Debbie Schlenoff, Lane Audubon Conservation Chair, attended the ESC meeting and provided information on their “Lights Out Campaign” (https://laneaudubon.org/lights-out-eugene/), which encourages individuals and municipalities to pledge to combat light pollution by installing lights that face downward and to limit lighting (when possible) at night, in order to help the migratory bird population in the fall and spring.
  • The group is looking to get “official” bird-friendly status and is planning to go to the Eugene City Council to request this.
  • The ESC thought it would be good to include information about the campaign in future SEN electronic mailings. ESC needs to decide how to otherwise get the word out: an idea to have the Audubon Society come to a future SEN meeting to present and have a Q&A was discussed.
  • Dennis offered to bring this campaign up to the Neighborhood Leadership Council (NLC) and will invited Debbie to attend.
  • Recruiting:
    • SEN is having a board retreat on Tuesday, December 5th at the Hilyard Community Center. The theme is “Recruitment”. SEN Board members and members of SEN committees are invited to join.
    • The plan is to discuss ways to get neighbors more involved, particularly on committees and the board.
    • Some members of the ESC will ask Amazon Creek tree planting volunteers about why they are out planting trees, what other environmental topics they have an interest in, and will mention what other things ESC is working on.
    • Devon offered to work up a questionnaire; Dennis will provide clipboards. Devon, Dennis and Kit agreed to walk along Amazon Creek during the tree planting to ask volunteers about the above.

Leave The Leaves!

By Justin Wheeler on 6. October 2017

One of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the winter cover they need.

Besides providing the right plants, and protecting your garden from pesticides, one of the next most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the winter cover they need in the form of fall leaves and standing dead plant material. Frequently however, this is the hardest pill for gardeners to swallow.

It may be habitual, a matter of social conditioning, or a holdover of outdated gardening practices from yesteryear— but for whatever reason, we just can’t seem to help ourselves from wanting to tidy up the garden at the end of the season—raking, mowing, and blowing away a bit of nature that is essential to the survival of moths, butterflies, snails, spiders, and dozens of arthropods.

That’s why this year—and every year—we are making the case for leaving the leaves and offering input on what to do with them. Read on!

Must Love Leaves

While monarch migration is a well-known phenomenon, it’s not the norm when it comes to butterflies. In fact, the vast majority of butterflies and moths overwinter in the landscape as an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult. In all but the warmest climates, these butterflies use leaf litter for winter cover. Great spangled fritillary and wooly bear caterpillars tuck themselves into a pile of leavesfor protection from cold weather and predators. Red-banded hairstreaks lay their eggs on fallen oak leaves, which become the first food of the caterpillars when they emerge. Luna moths and swallowtail butterflies disguise their cocoons and chrysalises as dried leaves, blending in with the “real” leaves. There are many such examples.

Beyond butterflies, bumble bees also rely on leaf litter for protection. At the end of summer, mated queen bumble bees burrow only an inch or two into the earth to hibernate for winter. An extra thick layer of leaves is welcome protection from the elements. There are so many animals that live in leaves: spiders, snails, worms, beetles, millipedes, mites, and more—thatsupport the chipmunks, turtles, birds, and amphibians that rely on these insects for food.

It’s easy to see how important leaves really are to sustaining the natural web of life.

Leaves and Lawn

According to a 2005 NASA estimate, there are around 40 million acres of lawn in the continental United States – making turf grass the single largest “crop” we grow. This disproportionate ratio of lawn to garden is the main reason we rake, mow, and blow. To mimic the natural ecosystem an animal needs, a layer of leaves needs to be at least a couple of inches thick. While this would be too much of a good thing for turf grass to handle—research has shown that lawns actually benefit from a thin layer of leaves, and the rest can be piled up around ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials to no ill effect.

If you must keep your lawn clear of leaves—try opting for raking or using a leaf vacuum to capture whole leaves, rather than shredding them with a mower and make a leaf pile in a corner of your yard. More on that below.

Better still would be to reduce your overall lawn footprint, replacing it instead with wildlife-supporting plantings that can be future repositories for fall leaves.

To Shred or Not to Shred

Many organic gardeners opt for shredding their fall leaves for use in compost piles. While this is certainly a more environmentally friendly practice than bagging leaves and sending them to the landfill—shredded leaves will not provide the same cover as leaving them whole, and you may be destroying eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalis along with the leaves. We suggest that leaves in garden beds and lawn edges be left whole. Where space allows, consider creating a leaf pile and allowing it to break down naturally, or add the leaves gradually to your compost pile over time. Such efforts will keep critters safe and allow you to benefit from the rich garden gift that falls from the trees above.

Free Mulch!

Another reason to leave the leaves is for the many benefits they provide to your landscape. Leaves provide valuable organic matter and build up healthy soil. Fallen leaves have the same weed suppression and moisture retention properties of shredded wood mulch—and they’re free! Where mulch is desired as a decorative element, what could be more seasonally appropriate than apile of brightly-colored fall leaves?

The Bottom Line

You gave them flowers and a place to nest. You tended your garden and avoided pesticides. Don’t carry all of that hard work out to the curb. Simply put, when we treat leaves like trash—we’re tossing out the beautiful moths and butterflies that we’ll surely miss and work so very hard to attract.

While the idea is to “leave the leaves” permanently—for all of the benefits mentioned above—if you do decide you need to cleanup the garden and remove the leaves in spring, make sure you wait until late in the season so as not to destroy all the life you’ve worked to protect.

In the past gardeners may have worried that fall leaves, matted down by snow or rain, would have a negative impact on their perennials. In reality, a thick layer of leaves provides additional insulation against bitter cold weather, and can protect newly planted perennials when frost-heave may expose tender roots. Anyone who has spotted fragile spring ephemerals popping up in thewoods knows that all but the frailest of plants will burst through the leaf litter in spring without trouble.

Further Reading

Read a more recent blog about Leave the Leaves to Benefit Wildlife

Learn more about Nesting & Overwintering Habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects Wondering what to do in spring? Don’t spring into garden cleanup too soon!

Spread the Word!

We’ve created these graphics to help spread the word—leave the leaves, the animals need them. Feel free to share these on social media with the hashtag #leavetheleaves!