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or Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker, contact Parks Planner Carolyn Weiss at 682- 4914. # ## Volunteer Efforts Aimed at Restoring Habitat, Views and Trails on Skinner Butte On November 1, City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division staff, in conjunction with volunteers from the Eugene Rotary Club, will spend a day restoring trails, improving habitat and restoring views on Skinner Butte. Guided by the Skinner Butte Park Master Plan and building on previous volunteer projects sponsored by Eugene Rotary Club and Eugene Volunteers in Parks, work will focus on restoring native upland prairie habitat on the west slope of the butte, recovering views from the butte summit by removing several trees, and repairing a large segment of the summit loop trail to improve accessibility. Adopted in 2002, the park's master plan calls for restoration and long -term preservation of popular, historically significant views .� . from the summit of Skinner Butte. Public 4 input gathered showed that views from Skinner Butte are important for the e• • ' identity of the community, but that a . -.'` t' balanced approach should be taken to restore and protect them. The plan outlines a unique, objective strategy for : $ " documenting views and setting clear guidelines for restoring views while protecting forested areas. The plan also calls for the protection and restoration of native upland prairie habitat, which once covered nearly all of Skinner Butte. Native prairie is now a highly endangered habitat type in the Willamette Valley, with Tess than one percent of the original habitat remaining. On Skinner Butte, most upland prairie has been lost to the encroachment of trees and invasive plant species, like Himalayan blackberry. Since the few, small areas of prairie habitat remaining on the butte are located where views are still present, the objectives of view restoration and habitat restoration can be combined. Trail restoration efforts are also a high priority identified by the master plan. Rotary volunteers will clean and prepare the surface of the northern section of the summit loop path for a fresh overlay of asphalt. This, along with future volunteer and contractor efforts, will increase appropriate use of the butte and appreciation of its natural areas, while protecting those areas by managing access. The Eugene Rotary Club has sponsored several significant volunteer rehabilitation and beautification projects on Skinner Butte, including the Veteran's Memorial overlook and flag, since 1996. To see a complete version of the Skinner Butte Park Master Plan, visit www.ci.eugene.or.us /PW /PARKS /SBP /sbpmplan.htm. For more information about this effort, contact Robin Hostick, parks planner for the project, at 682 -4915, or Troy Kreger, Volunteers in Parks coordinator, at 682 -4845. # ## 16 Acres of Ivy Removed from Hendricks Park Over the Last Two Years In the four years since the Hendricks Park Forest Management Plan was approved by the Eugene city council, approximately 16 acres of ivy have been cleared from the 1