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Metropolitan Regional Parks and Open Space Study <br />United Front FY 03 Lobbying Options <br />Draft, November 5, 2001 <br />Background <br />The purpose of the Metropolitan Regional Parks and Open Space Study is to <br />develop a working vision for our regional parks and open space system while <br />identifying both long- and short -term strategies for implementation. <br />On August 16, the Metropolitan Policy Committee requested that a set of <br />proposed open space land acquisitions be developed for possible inclusion into <br />the upcoming FY 2003 United Front lobbying package. Since that time, staff <br />from Lane County, Springfield, Eugene, and Willamalane have generated lists of <br />potential sites and projects for consideration that support their existing open <br />space plans and goals and that could be achieved in the short term. A full listing <br />of these initial options are included in attachment A. <br />At the October 30 staff team meeting, these options were presented and <br />discussed. After this, we reviewed these lists and sifted out those projects that <br />were not ideal candidates for federal United Front lobbying, focusing primarily on <br />land acquisition as opposed to those with a recreational, implementation, or <br />planning focus. Many of the projects that were sifted out may still be pursued, <br />but by targeting other funding sources or implementation strategies. <br />Open Space Options for United Front <br />A number of potential target acquisition areas have been included on the <br />attached map, although we may not want to include all of these in the lobbying <br />package. One promising concept would be to combine a number of these areas <br />into a comprehensive proposal that focuses on linked system of trails and parks <br />stretching along the coast and middle fork of the Willamette River, the Springfield <br />Mill Race, the Eugene ridgeline trial system, and the Amazon greenway to Fern <br />Ridge Reservoir. This would build on existing locally approved plans and on an <br />already established series of parks and trails and would provide clear benefit to <br />each of the four participating jurisdictions. Obviously, federal appropriations <br />would not be sufficient to complete this entire system, but could go a long way <br />toward that goal. <br />This proposal would be easy to support for a number of reasons: <br />• It builds on and provides connections to a number of major public open space <br />areas already in existence (Bufford Recreation Area, Springfield Mill Race, <br />Dorris Ranch, Spencer Butte, Eugene Ridgeline Parks, and the West Eugene <br />Wetlands. <br />