New Search
2 <br /> threatened or endangered. As part of their recommendations for saving the salmon, federal <br /> officials are urging city officials to make city riverscapes more natural. Rasor Park is an ideal . <br /> place for the City of Eugene to begin doing this. <br /> • Oak savanna habitat has now been recognized by scientists and agency officials as "the most <br /> endangered type of habitat in the U.S." It is also disappearing in the Willamette Valley. <br /> ODFW scientists fear for the survival of many of the more than 140 species of birds, amphib- <br /> ians, mammals and reptiles that live in and depend on such habitat, and are urging private land- <br /> owners to preserve and restore oak habitat, saying a small patch of oaks can make a big contri- <br /> bution to wildlife. Rasor Park was once oak savanna, though only a few mature oaks remain. It is <br /> an ideal site for restoration and public education about this type of habitat. <br /> • A recent Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) study documented that populations <br /> of many of Oregon's birds are in serious decline. Some of the populations in trouble are those <br /> that utilize grassland habitat, such as Oregon's state bird, the meadowlark. Loss of native prai- <br /> rie, such as once was present at Rasor Park, has been identified as a major cause of decline of this <br /> species in the Willamette Valley. Because of its prime Greenway location, Rasor Park is ecologi- <br /> cally linked (via the river and riparian greenbelt) with other natural areas. Because of its size and <br /> location on the river flyway, it already serves as valuable habitat for birds. Replanting native trees <br /> and shrubs on the site, and allowing grasses to grow taller in certain zones to mimic the condi- <br /> tions of a natural meadow, will greatly increase the habitat value of the park. <br /> • The monarch butterfly population of the Western Flyway through our area is seriously threat- <br /> ened by loss of critical habitat (grasslands) where the native showy milkweed grows, on which <br /> monarch larvae depend. By restoring milkweed populations to the grasslands at Rasor Park, we <br /> might contribute to the monarch's return. <br /> • Clearly many wildlife populations are in serious decline in our state and area due to loss of <br /> habitat. While development marches forward, there are too few sites where active restoration is <br /> occurring. It is time for aggressive measures not only to preserve the remnants of habitat that are <br /> left, but to actively restore habitat in sites such as Rasor Park, where it is still possible to do so. <br /> 4. To reduce City maintenance costs: <br /> • A sensitively restored "natural" landscape at Rasor Park will greatly reduce landscape mainte- <br /> nance costs, compared with conventional parks that require irrigation, frequent mowing, and <br /> considerable pampering to maintain a very artificial landscape. <br /> 5. To provide a good model and valuable public education: <br /> • Restoring the landscape at Rasor Park will set a good example for restoring habitat on other <br /> public lands, and also give area residents ideas on how they might themselves apply these <br /> principles on their own properties. The project will also be a valuable model of non - polluting and <br /> resource - conserving landscaping practices. Because of its location on the busy river bank <br /> bikepath, restoration efforts and interpretive displays at the site will have educational value for <br /> entire community. <br /> 12/99 <br />