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Why Restore Rasor Park? <br /> f <br /> 1. To protect and enhance the Willamette River and Greenway: <br /> Friends of • Statewide Planning Goal 15, "Willamette River Greenway" was adopted by the state <br /> Land Conservation and Development Commission in 1975 to "protect, conserve, <br /> Rasor Park enhance and maintain the natural [...] river." It stipulates in particular that "the natural <br /> vegetative fringe along the river shall be enhanced and protected to the maximum <br /> 202 Hawthome extent practicable." More recently, the Oregon Department of Forestry has initiated <br /> Eugene, OR 97404 a Willamette River Riparian Enhancement grants program, in recognition of the <br /> ecological importance of riparian sites, and the need for restoration of many degraded <br /> areas along the Willamette. Oregon's Governor has also established the Willamette <br /> Restoration Initiative, to promote, integrate, and coordinate efforts to protect and <br /> restore the health of the Willamette watershed, and to guide the development of the <br /> Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Rasor Park lies entirely within the <br /> Willamette Greenway, and restoration at the site would help further the goals of all of <br /> these important, state -led efforts. <br /> • Locally, there is recognition by the City's own planning department that the <br /> Greenway is not being adequately protected (from development or damaging <br /> activities) by existing state or local programs and ordinances. It is especially <br /> important that publicly -owned lands within the Greenway be protected (and where <br /> possible, enhanced) to an even greater degree than the minimum standards required <br /> STEERINGCOMMII'IEE by current laws. Given that many areas in the Willamette Greenway within the <br /> Eugene /Springfield Urban Growth Boundary are already paved over (e.g., Valley <br /> Kathleen Allison <br /> Joan Connolly River Mall) or planted with exotic vegetation that contributes very little to riverside <br /> Judy Granatstein ecology (e.g., Skinner's Butte Park and Owen Rose Garden), areas such as Rasor Park <br /> Rob Handy <br /> Julie Hulme become even more valuable as restoration sites. <br /> Dennis Lueck <br /> Steven Mueller <br /> Becky Riley 2. To preserve needed open space for River Road residents, and a <br /> Jim Wolter valuable natural area for residents City -wide: <br /> • The River Road neighborhood currently has the lowest ratio of neighborhood park <br /> acreage per resident of any area in the metropolitan region. Furthermore, residential <br /> development is gobbling up the little remaining open space at an alarming rate. <br /> Numerous potential park sites have been lost to development in the past few years. At <br /> ten acres, Rasor Park is unique in that it is one of the last- remaining and largest <br /> parcels of publicly owned open space in the River Road neighborhood. Located as <br /> it is on the banks of the Willamette and served by the West Bank bike path, the site is <br /> irreplaceable as an accessible, nearby natural area for the enjoyment of the entire <br /> community. <br /> 3. To protect and restore our local native plant and animal species: <br /> • Scientists and federal government agencies have listed many Northwest salmon <br /> species (including Oregon's Upper Willamette spring chinook and steelhead) as <br /> (over) <br />