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Biological Resources <br />Affected Environment <br />Existing Wildlife and Vegetation <br />The Alternative 1 site, the Riverfront site, is located in an urbanized area of Springfield. The <br />western edge of the property is defined by a slough across which lies Island Park (an area with <br />large, old trees) and the Willamette River, with its associated riparian vegetation. The <br />Alternative 2 site. is located within the highly urbanized business district of Eugene. <br />Both of the alternative sites are developed with commercial buildings and impervious surfaces, <br />providing minimal wildlife habitat value. Walls, window ledges, and roofs of the existing <br />buildings, as well as landscape trees and shrubs, provide perches and potential nesting habitat for <br />common urban birds such as the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), domestic pigeon <br />(Columba Livia), white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), glaucous-winged gull (Carus <br />glaucescens), and American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Crevices and ledges of buildings <br />provide nest cavities used by several nonnative bird species such as house sparrow (Passer <br />domesticus) and European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Building foundations may provide nesting <br />areas for several nonnative mammals such as the house mouse (Mus musculus), brown rat <br />(Rattus norvegicus), and black rat (Rattus rattus). <br />The Riverfront site (Alternative 1) likely sees greater usage by urban wildlife than the <br />Alternative 2 site due to its location adjacent to Island Park and the Willamette River. The <br />Riverfront site is adjacent to the Willamette River and is likely frequented by waterfowl. <br />The limited amount of vegetation that exists on the alternative sites consists of a variety of native <br />and nonnative ornamental trees located along site perimeters, beside buildings, and in parking <br />lots. Ornamental shrubs and weedy herbaceous plants are also present. A census of the tree <br />types and diameter classes at each alternative site appears in Table 1. <br />Table 1. Numbers of existing trees on each of the alternative sites and their size classes. <br /> 0-10 10-20 >20 Total <br /> inches inches inches Number <br />Alternative Type dbh dbh dbh of Trees <br />Alternative 1 Deciduous 15 28 19 62 <br />Coniferous - 5 2 7 <br />Alternative 2 Deciduous 11 5 - 16 <br />Coniferous - - 2 2 <br />dbh =diameter at breast height. <br />New Federal Courthouse <br />55 <br />Final EIS <br />