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City of Eugene <br />Parks and Open Space Division <br />D-illard Hollow Acquisition Project <br />Environmental Assessment <br />Purpose of and Need for Action <br />Background <br />The City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division (POS) owns or participates in the <br />management of over 5,000 acres of natural areas within and around the urban center. The Natural <br />Resource Management Section of POS consists of 22 full time staff. dedicated to employing a wide <br />variety of cutting edge tools and techniques to restore, enhance, protect and manage these areas. <br />In addition to these City owned properties, the POS division is a key partner in the West Eugene <br />Wetlands which consists of over 2,900 acres of wetlands managed and owned in partnership with <br />seven other agencies and organizations. <br />Central to the. POS park system is the Ridgeline Park System. This string of upland parks <br />delineates the City's southern border following the ridgeline of the south hills. It totals over 1,000 <br />acres including Spencer Butte, the highest point in the City. A range of habitats including mixed <br />conifer forests, oak savannas, oak woodlands, riparian forests, depressional wetlands, rocky <br />outcrops and balds, and, upland prairies make this natural area biologically rich. This region of <br />Eugene represents the northernmost range of the black oak (Quercus kelloggii). Several rare <br />plant species are also found in the ridgeline system. <br />Description of the Project Area <br />Dillard Hollow is a 38.4 acre undeveloped parcel located off of Dillard Road, in the South Hills of <br />Eugene. It is one of the more intact natural areas remaining in private ownership in the South Hills. <br />It is located at Township 18, Range 3, and Section 20. It is bordered an the north and east edges <br />by Dillard Road, along the western edge by a single family residential neighborhood and along the <br />southern edge by Amazon Headwaters, a 226 acrd City-owned open space park. Historic photo <br />analysis indicates that the site has not been impacted by human disturbances. The site represents <br />one of the headwater sources for. Amazon Creek, one of the largest waterways flowing through <br />Eugene. There are three open waterways flowing across the site which converge at the lowest <br />point on the property in a depressional broadleaf wetland forest. In addition to these wetland <br />resources, significant portions of the property consist of mixed conifer forest. The entire site is <br />currently forested. <br />Purpose of and Need for Action <br />The purpose of this proposed action is to acquire Dillard Hollow and protect it as publicly-owned <br />and managed natural open space. This action will prevent the property from eminent development <br />and protect the forested, natural areas, waterways, and wetlands as well as the diversity of species <br />currently inhabiting this property. <br />