October 2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

New Search

PAS (j CITY BEAT Continued from Page 1C Report tries , • • At issue is the January 2001 list- council Oct. 16. ing of spring Chinook salmon in the to reconcile a upper Willamette River as an en- Smell the roses 4 dangered species. Cities along its A five-year, largely volunteer of • • course — along with counties, the fort to perk up the Owens Rose Gar cit I I lion city U.S. Forest Service and other land den in Skinner Butte Park is a little I. u stewards — must ensure that none past the halfway point but already i; ,e of the activities they allow in or has transformed the city's first riv HEN IS ACTIVITY near , 'I near the river harm or significantly erfront public garden. Eugene's banks of the Willamette harass the migrating salmon. ' Volunteers from the Eugene Del- River—whether at public parks Bjorklund told planning commis- to Rotary Club, which adopted The: or on developed private property—. sioners that a review of all city park.as a service project in 1999, iS. i reasonable use of an aesthetic asset,and practices found a total of 177 activi- were at•it again last weekend — > when does it become a burden on the r ties near the riverfront that could doing finish work on the steel per- . river? affect either the adult salmon that gola that will support a gateway of When should a submerged log be typically swim upstream through climbing roses on a 185-foot-long considered an Eugene in July or August, or the .garden path, as well as placing CITY BEAT/ unacceptable i , juvenile fish that migrate down- fund-raising memorial bricks in the hazard to °' stream at various times throughout walkway and benches alongside it. EUGENE recreational users the year. "It's pretty amazing, how this- „/ of the river as it • . Overall, the city is doing well," group of Rotarians has stepped for- Joe Mosley '`i'1',OYflpws through Bjorklund said. "But we could ward," said Chris Girard, coordina- Eugene,and i improve." tor of the city's Volunteers in Parks when does the same log become critical A list of 10 proposed strategies program. "Just about everything '. habitat for migrating salmon? for treading lightly on the river and you see has been accomplished by. ' "In our part,we're balancing(habitat i its endangered salmon has been de- them, or by them with their(corpo- value)against navigational safety,"Neil velopedby the environmental team. rate)partners." Bjorklund,the city's natural resources Some may simply be implemented, In partnership with the city, planner,told Planning Commission while others will require council which committed tospending. members last week a thou n t o• amend current $20,000 annually for five.years on. Bjorklund and an Environmental regulations. the rose garden upgrade, the yolun- Policy Team of city staffers have been One proposal is to create a teers have also erected trellises and working for more than two years on a "salmon habitat protection zone" created rose bed borders. f Salmon Protection and Recovery 4, along the river to•protect vegetation Most recently, the Rotarians Strategies report that,was'presented in I that provides food and nutrients, have raised $26,000 since February draft form to.the Planning Commission 4 creates hiding and resting places. to buy a gazebo that will be. in last week and will be presented to the ) for salmon and naturally filters stalled next month in the heart of City Council later this month. stormwater pollutants as they flow the rose garden.Later this month,a Turn to CITY BEAT,Page 5C toward the river. concrete path to the gazebo.site will. The protection zone wouldin- be poured. 'dude a 75-foot setback on each A.."water feature" that will in- riverbank, bordered by a 45-footdude a pond and fountain also is • transition area. planned, and the next major project Other draft strategies include will be a community activity center adopting a list of invasive, non- near the pergola archway structure. native plants and prohibiting their "After the gazebo is finished, use in landscaping around parking ,that's where we're going to turn lots and other amenities that must ;our efforts,"Girard said. beapproved by the city; reviewing city practices in the application of chemical pesticides; and reviewing the list of privately owned proper- ties within the Willamette's flood- way_ for possible purchases from willing sellers: The matter goes before the; i L