ENHS Nature Trails September 2000 Article 2

Natural History and You - The President's Forum
by Nathan Tublitz

Citizens Nature Project:
A big win for grassroots organization and the environment

One of the most important studies in local history, the Eugene/Springfield Metro Natural Resources Study, is currently in progress, and it needs your help. Jointly supported by the cities of Eugene and Springfield, LCOG, and Lane County, the goal of this project is to identify natural resource sites within Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area that meet state criteria for preservation and protection. Before I get to how you can help, a bit of background is necessary.

Nearly two decades ago the State of Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development produced a list of 13 natural resources, known as Goal 5 resources, of sufficient importance to demand protection from development. The 13 specified resources are: riparian corridors, wetlands, wildlife habitat, Federal Wild and Scenic rivers, Oregon scenic waterways, groundwater resources, approved Oregon recreation trails, "natural areas" (defined as those listed in the Oregon State Register of Natural Heritage Resources), wilderness areas, mineral and aggregate resources, energy sources, historic resources, and scenic views and sites. In the1980s the State mandated all counties to identify sites within their jurisdiction that met each of the Goal 5 resource criteria. Because of the immense nature of this task, counties dragged their collective feet and did little or no inventorying for Goal 5 resources. Lane County generated a quick study in 1988-89 on a couple of the Goal 5 resources but it was not adopted by any local government due to political pressure from both environmentalists, who rightly claimed the study to be incomplete, and developers, who obviously wanted no sites withdrawn from potential development. Because of the potential political implications, the cities of Eugene and Springfield as well as Lane County were quite pleased to let the entire matter slip below their collective radar screens for over a decade.

This year, however, local governments finally bowed to continued pressure from the State and began the process of identifying and protecting local Goal 5 resource sites. LCOG was hired to produce a study focusing on three of the 13 Goal 5 resources: wetlands, riparian corridors, and wildlife habitat. Although the LCOG group are well intentioned, they are severely underfunded and understaffed. To make matters worse, their time line is extremely short; this project was started in late spring and the current plan is to present a finished report to the three local governments (Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County) by the end of the year. Because of the lack of resources and the impending deadline, LCOG has resorted to identifying most sites using aerial maps and information from previous government studies. Sadly, due to staff limitations, little or no on-site work was planned. Given this process and limited funding, their final report is likely to be disastrous from an environmental perspective; most local Goal 5 sites will be left off the list and thus be available for development.

Here's the good part: two wonderful souls, Mary O'Brien and Kevin Matthews, heard about this impending disaster and decided to take action. They organized the Citizens Nature Project, a completely grassroots efforts by local citizens to identify local sites that are wetlands, riparian corridors or wildlife habitats. During the month of August, these amazing folks, along with some help from many others including ENHS members, galvanized the efforts of hundreds of individuals and put together a list of 115 potential Goal 5 resource sites in the Eugene-Springfield metro area. On September 5th, Mary and Kevin held a new conference and presented their list of 115 sites to Kathi Wiederhold, the project director for LCOG. Kathi and her colleagues are currently reviewing the list and deciding how to incorporate these sites into the final report. Thanks to Mary and Kevin, it is likely that many of their sites will be officially identified as Goal 5 resources sites and thus protected from development.

The Citizens Nature Project doesn't end here however. LCOG has agreed to accept additional nominated sites between now and the end of the project, currently scheduled for the end of November. If you have a favorite local wetland, riparian or wildlife habitat site within the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area, be it a backyard or several hundred acres, submit its location and a brief description to Kathi Wiederhold, Project Manager, Metropolitan Natural Resources Study, Lane Council of Governments, 125 E. 8th, Eugene OR 97401. Or send it to me by e-mail (tublitz@uoneuro.uoregon.edu) and I will submit it for you. Please take a few minutes today and save a piece of our natural heritage.

The Citizens Nature Project is a compelling example of how a few individuals can have a significant impact. Choose an issue and get active! You CAN change the world (just ask Mary or Kevin!).

For more information on the Citizens Nature Project, go to their website at:
http://www.natureproject.com/
For details on State Goal 5 resources, check out:
http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/rules/OARS_600/OAR_660/660_023.html

Nathan Tublitz
Professor of Biology
Institute of Neuroscience
University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403
Phone: 1-541-346-4510 FAX: 1-541-346-4548

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