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4. Drastically improving the cooperation and collaboration within offices and departments as we • introduce more multi - function devises (which lower individual printer usage) and add centralized document scanning. The goal is to complete the document strategy by May 2005. i r Waterways Study - The Eugene - Springfield Metropolitan Waterways Study is a five -year partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers that will lead to restoration of many of our local waterways. The study will look at environmental benefits, social benefits, and economic benefits when evaluating potential projects. This is a new approach that the Corps of Engineers is beginning to do nationwide and we are one of the first to attempt suc a process. Sustainable Land Management Practices - The City's natural resource staff have made significant changes in the last five years to develop sustainable land management practices. For example, five staff are now trained in prescribed fire techniques to use this as a restoration tool in City -owned natural areas. Some of these staff have worked with the City's Fire Department staff to carry out training exercises and we hope to use it more frequently to mimic the natural processes that occurred in this area prior to development. I nvasive Species Control - The City of Eugene has adopted new technology to managing invasive plant species in our natural areas. One example is the use of a thermal weed device that uses heat to eliminate invasive plant species without the use of chemicals. Additionally, we have begun using a hot -foam technique that is derived from sugar to eradicate weed populations. /Restoration Techniques on Soil and Vegetation - Parks and Open Space Natural Resources staff applied !r infrared weed burning and solarization on experimental plots of land in the West Eugene Wetlands, as part of a research project staff is participating in with the University of Oregon (UO), Lane Council of Governments and other West Eugene Wetlands partners. Funded by a $200,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project involves studying the impact of various site preparation techniques for wetlands restoration efforts over a five to seven -year period. Specifically, four techniques— tilling, solarizing, Sunburst infrared weed burning, and herbicide —will be applied in various combinations to 50 experimental plots of land, and data will be collected to document the effects of these techniques on plant productivity, the number and relative abundance of each species, and many functional aspects of the soil, such as carbon and nutrient cycling. The Parks and Open Space Natural Resource Maintenance crew is covering more than one and a half acres of wetlands in the West Eugene Wetlands with plastic sheeting this summer in an effort to more effectively eradicate pervasive, non - native wetland weeds, such as reed canarygrass, and restore species native to this wet prairie habitat. The clear plastic covering is the final step in the innovative, non - toxic, weed control technique called solarization. Solarization is one of many techniques used by parks crews to control highly invasive weeds in Eugene's parks and natural areas. Landscape and Turf and Grounds crews are having favorable results with an eco- weeder, an environmentally friendly, chemical -free weed control system. The system, which kills weeds with radiant, infra -red energy, can be applied specifically to weeds without causing damage to other, non- weed plants nearby. The targeted application super heats the weed, searing the vascular system of the plant. In short, the plant dries up and dies. The new system appears to work particularly well on young, annual weeds by disrupting the weeds' life cycle and preventing the weeds from reaching seed stage and spreading. Because of its specificity, the system can also be used in sensitive natural areas, such as along rivers and streams. It can also be used during the rainy season when other weed control methods, such as spraying, are not very effective. Though the feedback from staff is generally positive, the system is not a quick -fix for all weed control