Natural Resources Planning

Wetlands

LCOG provided wetland services to the wetland partnership. Members include the:

  • City of Eugene,
  • U.S. Bureau of Land Management,
  • Nature Conservancy,
  • Oregon Youth Conservation Corps,
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and
  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
  • West Eugene Wetlands
    Many visitors enjoyed the west Eugene wetlands in 2002.
    Services included supporting to the Wetheads inter-agency staff team and Wetland Executive Team (WET). This year, WET approved a wetland acquisition strategy, as well as new names for the majority of wetlands in west Eugene.
  • LCOG assisted in United Front lobbying efforts and successfully obtained funding for additional BLM wetland acquisitions.
  • The wetland partners, with support from LCOG, completed acquisition of the Lee & Marvin, and Speedway parcels, major accomplishments that help connect pieces of the Amazon greenway.
  • Staff also helped prepare successful grants for $1 million from the North American Wetland Conservation Act and $.5 million from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.
  • LCOG managed a portion of the $127,000 Department of Education grant, products of which were completed in December 2002.
  • LCOG staff supported the City of Eugene Mitigation Bank by preparing a Mitigation Improvement Plan for the 12-acre Willow Corner property.
  • LCOG, working with city staff and a citizen steering committee, produced a Management Plan for the City of Eugene-owned Gudu-Kut Natural Area in west Eugene.

Stormwater Planning

LCOG continued to provide general planning and technical support services for Eugene’s stormwater planning program.

  • Stormwater PlanStaff assisted with preparing and producing the City of Eugene’s updated Stormwater Basin Master Plan, a seven-volume set that outlines measures for addressing federal stormwater quality requirements, and for controlling floods and protecting stormwater-related natural resources.
  • LCOG provided technical assistance in developing Eugene’s draft water quality treatment standards for new development proposals and also provided facilitation services and graphic materials for public outreach, review, and feedback on these standards. The standards are expected to be forwarded to the Eugene City Council in summer 2003.
  • Staff assisted with adoption and implementation of the Eugene Stream Corridor Acquisition Plan, and assisted with preparation of short- and long-term management plans for these corridors.

Metropolitan Natural Resources Study

Natrural ResourcesLane County and the cities of Eugene and Springfield received LCOG’s assistance with updating a metropolitan-wide study of wetlands, riparian corridors, and wildlife habitat to meet state-wide land use planning requirements.

  • Staff assisted planners from the county and the cities in starting the official processing for the inventory and significance criteria.
  • Currently, the three jurisdictions are moving forward to pursue separate natural resource work programs to address Goal 5 requirements in a timely and efficient manner. The Metro Natural Resources Study will focus on Metro Plan natural resources policy at a broad, framework level. The product will be a revised and reformatted Environmental Resources Element of the Metro Plan.

Metropolitan Regional Parks and Open Space Study

Open Spaces MapLCOG is managing this study, working with representatives from the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County, and Willamalane Park and Recreation District. On a regional basis, park and open space planning occurred primarily at a local level without the benefit of a broader perspective. There is currently no single vision for the metropolitan region as a whole. The purpose of this study is to develop such a vision while identifying a set of implementation strategies to help make the vision a reality.

  • June 2002 brought completion of Phase I and included the development of a series of analyses maps, a set of implementation and funding options, and a working vision map. In addition, two public workshops were held.
  • Phase II of the project began in September 2002 and is focused on additional public outreach, vision refinement, and implementation strategies. Staff will present this vision to local elected and appointed officials in January and February 2003 for resolutions of support.

Back to Planning Services Main Page