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Alton Baker Park Monitoring Report for Univ. of Oregon Football Events Park Host Observations: Nearby Nature Falt 2003 Throughout the Fall of 2003, Nearby Nature recorded observations of the impacts of crowds on Alton Baker Park and the Whilamut Natural Area as a result of University of Oregon football events. The Fall of 2003 is the third year in which Nearby Nature has monitored impacts of football crowds on the park. Baseline Study As in prior years, Nearby Nature documented conditions in the park prior to the first football game in what we describe as our "Baseline" observations. The Baseline reports consist of photographs with documentation viewable in the ACDSee program under the "Details" mode. The descriptions include coordinates for locating the site of the observation based on a map of the park developed by City of Eugene. staff prior to the 2001 football season. As a result of successive monitoring efforts, we have been able to identify the areas most subject to impact. As a result, we have reduced the scope of the Baseline study to exclude areas less likely to be affected by football crowds. Post Game Observations Nearby Nature developed reports of impacts observed 1-2 days after the games in the same format as presented in prior years. For each game, we have provided a spreadsheet report summarizing the impacts recorded and a computer folder of photographs viewable in ACDSee with descriptions of each photo. The number of games held at Autzen Stadium declined from 8 in 2002 to 6 in 2003. In light of discussions prior to the Fall 2003 football season, we agreed to provide less exhaustive documentation of more common impacts like litter, damaged vegetation and soil compaction in the more heavily trafficked areas. The result is that a quantitative comparisonof impacts from 2003 to 2002 or 2001 cannot be deciphered by comparing the number of photographs documenting impact, since it was decided that less documentation of impact was necessary for 2003. Somewhat greater attention was given to documenting the extent of new trail creation and trail widening in several areas, including the areas west of the Cuthbert Amphitheater. We observed that the general level of trash seen throughout the park was approximately the same as in prior years. Conditions of trash at the Science Factory lots, however, were improved, probably as a result of more timely clean-up following the games. Science Factory staff informed us that their clean-up schedule was moved up from Monday to Sunday or the game day itself. Post game observations at the'BMX track suggested that the general site conditions are improved, but more work could be done to remove trash in a timely manner. One small difference between the post game reports for 2003 and prior years' reports pertains to terminology for describing impacts. Vegetation impact along trail edges has been categorized as either turf damage or soil erosion. Where appropriate, these impacts, when immediately adjacent to paths, have been described as trail widening for 2003. The post game reports also include some documentation of turf damage due to dog park users next to the canal (coordinates HI 23-24), and erosion on the slopes of the Oak Terrace next to the main Autzen trail ostensibly due to BMX bikers and bike jumping.