20262034_Addendum 3_WNA 5-Year Management Plan 2022-2026.pdf

Whilamut Natural Area Five-Year Natural Area

Management Plan 2022-2026

Prepared by:

City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division

1820 Roosevelt Blvd.

Eugene, OR 97402www.eugene-or.gov/parks http://www.eugene-or.gov/parks

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 2

Introduction and Plan Purpose

Whilamut Natural Area is 237-acre natural area along the north bank of the Willamette River in the eastern portion of the City of Eugene’s largest regional park, Alton Baker Park. As a result of its size and location near the University of Oregon, downtown Eugene, and the Ruth Bascom Riverbank bike path, this natural area is a popular place for both passive recreation activities and as a transportation route through its many paths and trails. The Whilamut Natural Area is situated within the Willamette River greenway. Habitats present include riparian forest, upland prairie, and shrub savanna.

Note that Eastgate Woodlands just east of I-5 is also considered part of the Whilamut Natural Area. This portion of the natural area is owned and managed by Willamalane Park and Recreation District in Springfield and, therefore will not be addressed in this plan.

Eugene Parks and Open Space develops five-year natural area management plans to guide on-the-ground maintenance and stewardship of high-quality natural areas within the City of Eugene’s Parks and Open Space (POS) system. This document is the second such plan written for Whilamut Natural Area. The 2015-2020 five-year plan included more in-depth descriptions of the site’s geologic origins, regional context, history, and prior management actions. Rather than repeat that important information here, this five-year plan summarizes what has taken place since the development of that plan and what City staff will focus on next.

As with the previous plan, this five-year plan identifies and prioritizes activities that are consistent with past planning documents. These include the 1996 East Alton Baker Plan and the 2005 Restoration and Management Plan for the Landfill Cover and Adjacent Riparian Area in the Whilamut Natural Area. The East Alton Baker Plan is quite dated, and it is anticipated that there will be a new master planning process for Alton Baker Park within the next five years. It is possible that this detailed planning process may identify new or different priorities than those identified in those earlier plans. Those new priorities may then influence the implementation of this five-year plan.

The goals, objectives and action items outlined herein additionally meet the following Parks and Open Space Strategic Plan 5-year Priorities for 2019-2024:

• 21st Century Stewardship: Ensure that our work serves as the bedrock for a parks and open space system that is safe, clean and green with equal access for all. Repair, replace, enhance and expand park infrastructure, amenities and natural resources while utilizing https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3261/East-Alton-Baker-Park-Plan?bidId= https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3264/Whilamut-Natural-Area-Restoration-and-Management-Plan?bidId= https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3264/Whilamut-Natural-Area-Restoration-and-Management-Plan?bidId= file://cesrv201/Public/POS-shared/OKRs/Plan/POSstratplan.Final.Template.pub file://cesrv201/Public/POS-shared/OKRs/Plan/POSstratplan.Final.Template.pub

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 3 technological efficiencies and leading the way in environmental sustainability.

• Keep the Community’s Trust: Demonstrate financial accountability and transparency by doing what we said we’d do, as specified in the bond and levy. Secure sustainable ongoing operational funding mechanism/s.

Overview of the Previous 5-year Plan

The initial 5-year plan for Whilamut Natural Area covered the period from 2015 through 2020.

That plan identified five goals, each with multiple objectives and associated action items. Four of those goals focused on maintaining and enhancing the priority natural resource features and habitats found at the site: upland prairie, shrub savanna habitat, riparian forest, and former filbert orchards (Figure 1). The fifth goal focused on encouraging community involvement and stewardship by continuing the existing partnerships with the Citizen Planning Committee, Nearby Nature, Walama Restoration Project, and community volunteers.

Nearly all the action items identified in the 2015-2020 plan were accomplished. Several of the lower priority actions, such as control of some invasive species and actions to enhance native plant diversity were not accomplished. For the most detailed version of which actions were completed and which ones were not, see the “2015-2020-WNA-Goals-Objs-Actions” file.

Appendix A of this document summarizes the most substantial and noteworthy accomplishments from the previous 5-year plan.

Wildflowers found in the Whilamut Natural Area (left to right: checkermallow, larkspur, and columbine)

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 4

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 5

Management Goals, Objectives, and Actions

Management Goals, Objectives, and Actions

After reviewing past achievements and discussing the ongoing need to maintain and enhance important habitat at the site, six goals were chosen to guide on-the-ground natural resource maintenance and stewardship of Whilamut Natural Area over the next five years (2022-2026).

These goals are as follows:

1. Maintain and enhance the existing upland prairie and savanna habitats by controlling invasive species, maintaining appropriate % shrub/tree cover, seeking opportunities to enhance native plant diversity, and providing habitat for grassland species, such as Western meadowlark.

2. Maintain and enhance the native plant community, structure, and connectivity of riparian habitat by controlling invasive species, planting native trees to fill in gaps, seeking opportunities to enhance native understory plant diversity.

3. Maintain and enhance riparian habitat and passive recreation opportunities associated with the Canoe Canal and pond by controlling invasive species, planting native vegetation, and improving recreational access.

4. Improve the habitat structure, reduce wildfire risk, and enhance the native plant diversity of former orchards by controlling invasive species, removing dead trees and downed woody debris, and allowing native vegetation to establish.

5. Continue to seek a balance between protecting wildlife habitat with allowing passive recreation by reducing impacts associated with illicit camping and construction of unauthorized trails.

6. Encourage and support community involvement and stewardship by fostering collaborative relationships with the Citizen Planning Committee, Nearby Nature, Walama Restoration Project, and community volunteers.

The detailed list of goals, objectives, and action items, along with the target completion year, can be found in the table on the following pages. Note that under labor source NA Ops = Natural Areas Operations work group and EST = Ecological Services Team.

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 6

2022-2026 Whilamut Natural Area - Goals, Objectives, and Actions Priority (H,M,L)

Labor Source

Target Year(s)

Goal 1: Maintain and enhance the existing upland prairie and savanna habitats.

Objective 1a. Control non-native invasive plant species

· Control blackberry annually in areas that cannot be mowed, such as within shrub pod or near Talking Stones, reptile rock piles, or other features H NA Ops 2022-

· Pull Scotch broom every 2-3 years prior to seed formation M Sheriff

Crew/ Vol.

Prog.

2022-

· Girdle invasive woodies, such as English hawthorn and black locust. Leave larger trees or shrubs standing to provide perches for birds (see 1d below) M NA Ops 2022,

· Develop plan to control larger patches of invasive species, such as thistle, teasel, poison hemlock, and fennel L NA Ops 2023

Objective 1b. Maintain upland prairie structure with a tree/shrub canopy cover of 1-5%

· Develop plan to alternately mow sections of the prairie (after July 15th) to control blackberry and invasive woodies. Mowing of fire breaks and path edges should occur per standard practice M NA Ops 2023

· Control established invasive and/or native woodies (Oregon ash, poison oak, other) encroaching on prairie, if cover begins to exceed 5%. Leave larger trees standing (girdle) to provide perches for birds (see 1e below)

M NA Ops 2022,

· Mowing of upland prairie areas should target blackberry, non-native woodies and invasives, but leave areas lacking invasive woodies or other high threat weeds as un-mowed habitat M NA Ops 2022-

Objective 1c. Maintain and enhance savanna structure with a tree/shrub cover of 5-15%

· Maintain existing shrub pods on the landfill cover by removing invasive species and watering/mulching shrubs less than three years old H NA Ops/

Seasonal 2022-

· Control established invasive woodies, such as English hawthorn, to reduce ongoing recruitment. Leave larger trees standing (girdle) to provide perches for birds (see 1e below) M NA Ops 2022,

· Mowing of the central savanna areas (landfill cover and areas around radio tower) should target blackberries, non-native woodies, and invasives, but leave areas lacking invasive woodies or other high threat weeds as un-mowed habitat

M NA Ops 2022-

· Mowing in the western savanna areas (west of the pond) should target blackberries and also be aimed at reducing illegal camping by increasing visibility M NA Ops 2022-

Objective 1d. Maintain and enhance native plant diversity

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2022-2026 Whilamut Natural Area - Goals, Objectives, and Actions (cont’d) Priority

Labor Source

Target Year(s)

· Monitor the population of chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis) and adjust maintenance of area, if needed H EST 2022-

· Reassess condition of existing shrub pods and replant with native shrubs and forb, as needed to provide better cover and food sources for wildlife and pollinators M EST 2023,

· Review mowing near areas with native forbs (e.g. chocolate lilies, restored areas) or important wildlife habitat (fox dens) annually and adjust polygons as needed H EST 2022-

· Seek opportunities to increase camas in prairie habitats, including CILOS area and areas identified in 2005 Restoration Plan goals M EST 2022-

Objective 1e. Provide and maintain habitat for Western meadowlark and other grassland bird and wildlife species

· Delay mowing (aside from margins and fire breaks) until after July 15th to limit disturbance during bird nesting season H NA Ops 2022-

· Avoid unnecessary disturbance of other wildlife species, such as mowing over top of or in close proximity to known fox dens Update fox den layer as new ones are found H NA Ops 2022-

· Create perches for grassland and other birds by girdling invasive trees and shrubs, rather than removing them completely M EST 2022,

· Construct additional rock piles for reptile and amphibian habitat, as resources allow L EST/Vol.

Prog. 2026

· Monitor prairie northeast of canoe canal and immediately west of I-5 for Northwestern pond turtle nesting. Remove invasive woodies as necessary L EST 2022-

Goal 2. Maintain and enhance the native plant community and structure of the riparian forest habitat.

Objective 2a. Control non-native invasive plant species

· Conduct annual false brome control in areas with high quality native understory (Wildflower Hollow, near Native Plant Nursery) H NA Ops 2022-

· Conduct follow-up blackberry control in Wildflower Hollow, riparian plantings along river and between prairie restoration site and I-5 H NA Ops/

Contract 2022-

· Conduct annual follow-up ivy control in areas with high quality native understory H Contract 2022-

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 8

Labor Source

Target Year(s)

· Remove of ivy off of trees along the Willamette River every 2-3 years M Contract/ Vol. Prog.

2022-

· Monitor for and control invasive species, such as Bromus diandrus, celandine, money plant, clematis, and knotweed in Wildflower Hollow and other high quality areas M NA Ops/

EST

2022-

Objective 2b. Maintain and enhance the structure and health of the riparian forest

· Develop plan for filling in gaps in the planted riparian forest between Pre’s Trail and the river from radio tower area to the Whilamut Passage Bridge H EST 2022

· Plant native trees and shrubs in gaps between previous riparian plantings H EST/Vol.

Prog.

2024,

· Maintain previous riparian plantings (mowing, mulching, weed control), as needed M NA Ops 2022-

· Assess need to remove accumulating woody debris in mature forest areas to reduce wildfire risk H EST 2023,

· Monitor riparian trees for beaver damage and protect with fencing as needed L EST 2022-

Objective 2c. Enhance diversity and quality of the riparian forest

· Consider inter-planting native shrubs in older riparian plantings to enhance diversity. Combine with new tree and shrub plantings H EST/Vol.

Prog.

2024,

· Assess need to plant trees to replace mature trees that have died M EST 2023

· Identify remnant or restored areas that are in good condition but lack native understory plants. Plant with native plants from the Native Plant Nursery, as resources allow L EST 2026

Goal 3. Maintain and enhance riparian habitat and passive recreation opportunities associated with the Canoe Canal and pond.

Objective 3a. Control non-native invasive plant species

· Pull Scotch broom every 2-3 years prior to seed formation M Sheriff

Crew/ Vol.

Prog.

2022-

· Control blackberries in areas where previous control has occurred or where illicit activities are occurring M NA Ops 2022-

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 9

Labor Source

Target Year(s)

· Control yellow flag iris in Canoe Canal, if feasible M Contract/ Vol. Prog.

2023,

· Remove of ivy off of trees every 2-3 years M Contract/ Vol. Prog.

2024, Objective 3b. Maintain and enhance native riparian habitat along Canoe Canal and pond

· Develop plan for enhancing riparian vegetation along eastern reaches of Canoe Canal (east of pond) M NA Ops 2026

· Continue to fence mature trees to protect them from beaver chewing, as needed M NA Ops 2022-

Objective 3c. Improve recreational access to the Canoe Canal

· Develop plan to improve access at Lot 8, including improving parking lot drainage and more accessible bank conditions M NA Ops 2023

· Evaluate feasibility of regrading bank in dog swim area (on southeast bank adjacent to dog park footbridge) to reduce erosion and improve access M NA Ops 2023-24

Goal 4. Maintain the habitat structure and enhance the native plant diversity of former orchards and other mixed forested areas.

Objective 4a. Control non-native invasive plant species

· Conduct annual false brome control in southwest orchards M NA Ops 2022-

· Control blackberries in areas where previous control has occurred or where illicit activities are occurring M NA Ops 2022-

· Control other invasive species, such as Scotch broom, as needed L NA Ops 2022-

Objective 4b. Maintain and enhance the structure of the orchards and mixed forest areas

· Assess need to remove downed woody debris to reduce wildfire risk H NA Ops/

EST

2023,

· Remove select filberts to facilitate recruitment of native trees and shrubs L NA Ops 2023, Objective 4c. Nudge the former orchards towards a more diverse native woodland habitat

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 10

Labor Source

Target Year(s)

· Allow native trees, native shrubs, and understory vegetation to establish in the former orchards M NA Ops 2022-

Goal 5. Continue to seek a balance between protecting wildlife habitat with maximizing passive recreation.

Objective 5a. Reduce impacts to high quality native understory community caused by unauthorized trails

· Block unauthorized trails in the Wildflower Hollow and other high quality habitat areas to discourage use M NA Ops 2022-

· Maintain and/or add fencing on slopes at east end of Wildflower Hollow to discourage use M NA Ops 2023, Objective 5b. Reduce impacts to high quality native understory community caused by illicit camping

· Inspect high quality natural areas regularly to identify illicit camps and take appropriate action M NA Ops 2022-

· Seek ways to make popular illicit camping locations less attractive though blocking of access, removal of blackberry or trimming of other vegetation to increase visibility M NA Ops 2022-

Goal 6. Encourage and support community involvement and stewardship.

Objective 6a. Continue to foster relationship with the Citizen Planning Committee (CPC) and to encourage stewardship activities by CPC members

· Provide POS liaison to CPC and share natural resource activity updates at monthly CPC meetings H CPC-POS

Liaison 2022-

· Encourage and support stewardship of Talking Stones; activities to include weeding and planting native vegetation around Talking Stones H

CPC-POS

Liaison/

Vol. Prog.

2022-

· Encourage and support other stewardship interests as they come up H

CPC-POS

Liaison/

Vol. Prog.

2022-

Objective 6b. Continue to collaborate with Nearby Nature

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 11

Labor Source

Target Year(s)

· Continue to provide guidance on invasive species control, native plantings and trail improvement work in the Wildflower Hollow, along the path between the Frohnmayer Bridge and Autzen Stadium, and other areas of the Whilamut

H Vol. Prog./

EST

2022-

· Collaborate with Nearby Nature on other habitat enhancement projects, such as tree and shrub planting on the landfill cover M Vol. Prog./

EST

2022-

· Support Nearby Nature's education efforts by helping to maintain accessibility of those natural areas used by camps and educational events; this includes the "magic forest" and Science Center Ponds

M Vol. Prog./

EST

2022-

Objective 6c. Continue to support Walama Restoration Project prairie restoration efforts

· Coordinate with Walama Restoration staff to review maintenance needs for the Butterfly Meadow and CILOS prairie. M Vol. Prog./

EST

2022-

·Propose adoption agreement and, if pursued, review goals to ensure that they are consistent with those in this plan M Vol. Prog./

EST 2025

Objective 6d. Identify other opportunities for volunteer stewardship

· Natural Areas and Volunteer Program staff meet or communicate regularly to identify potential volunteer projects M

Vol. Prog./

EST/ NA

Ops

2022-

· Reach out to UO herpetology program to see if there is interest in evaluating use of existing reptile rock piles M Vol. Prog./

EST

2022-

· Seek adoption groups for high-priority areas such as the shrub pods and planted riparian areas L Vol. Prog. 2022-

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Appendix A

2015-2020 Five-Year Plan Accomplishment Summary Below is a summary of the most substantial work that was accomplished at Whilamut Natural Area since the development of the 2015-2020 five-year plan. For additional details see the Excel file “2015-2020-WNA-Goals-Objs-Actions”. Note that since the 5-year plan was not revised until 2022, this list includes actions completed in 2021.

Habitat Enhancement Shrub Savanna Habitat One of the objectives in the 2015-2020 plan was to maintain and enhance the shrub savanna habitat with a percent tree and shrub cover of 5-15%. This included maintaining the numerous native shrub plantings (pods) that had already taken place. In 2019 Natural Area staff evaluated the shrub pods to determine the success of the plantings and to help guide future shrub planting efforts. The findings were as follows:

• 2009 shrub planting pods – shrubs in the three original plantings were healthy and had reached full size, providing dense cover for birds and wildlife. These ponds should not need any additional maintenance beyond occasional blackberry control.

• 2013 shrub pods - the condition of the ten shrub pods planted by NA Ops in 2013 was more variable. Many of the pods had good survival and the shrubs looked healthy, but it appeared that the shrubs had not reached maturity and there were still gaps between shrubs so that the shrub pods appear less dense than the 2009 pods. These pods should fill in over time and are not expected need further enhancement. Several of the shrub plantings looked sparser, had lower survival rates, or were much smaller in size. It was determined that those plantings with few, but healthy shrubs could be enhanced by adding shrubs in the future. Alternatively, staff recommend no additional enhancement of the small shrub pods with poor establishment or shrub vigor. The poor survival could be related to inadequate soil properties or depth and those areas likely would better support grasses and forbs.

• 2014 shrub pods – these six areas planted by Friends of Trees also showed some variability in their success. The timing of the planting, just before several years of extreme drought, resulted in very slow establishment and growth of the shrubs. This despite being watered for three summers. Some of these plantings appear to have good survival and will likely need more time to achieve the density of vegetation that we are looking for. The two eastern-most pods appeared to be the most drought stressed at the time. These pods could be enhanced by inter-planting with shrubs to increase the density and provide better cover for wildlife. Additionally, native upland prairie wildflowers could be planted between shrubs to provide pollinator habitat.

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 13

While the evaluation of the older shrub plantings would inform the size, density, and species composition of future shrub planting efforts, it did not answer the question of whether additional plantings were needed to maintain a percent cover of native shrubs of 5-15%.

Therefore in 2019 staff mapped the cover of native and non-native woody species within the landfill cover shrub savanna habitat. This was done using a combination of GIS mapping and ground truthing to determine tree and shrub species. The following summarizes what was found:

• Total acreage of the shrub savanna habitat unit = 16.6 acres

• Total cover of all trees and shrubs (shrub pods + other) = 1.76 acres or 10.6% cover

• Total cover of native trees and shrubs (shrub pods + other) = 1.34 acres or 8.1% cover

• Total acreage of non-native woodies (mostly English hawthorn, but also black locust, thundercloud plum) = 0.42 acres or 2.5% cover

Figure 2 shows the shrub pod plantings by year, as well as native and non-native tree and shrub cover.

Since the percent cover of native trees and shrubs was found to be within the target range of 5- 15%, staff decided that it was not necessary to plant an additional ten shrub pods as had been outlined in the 2015-2020 plan. Instead, it was decided that on larger shrub pod would be planted on the eastern portion of the shrub savanna habitat unit and that two nearby shrub pods would be enhanced. This work was originally planned for early 2020, however the Covid- 19 pandemic delayed that effort. In fall of 2021, Parks staff and volunteers were finally able to complete this effort by planting eight species of native shrub, plus several white oak, in a 1400 square foot new shrub pod. An additional 5-6 species of native wildflowers and grasses were planted, including yarrow, self-heal, cinquefoil, Hall’s aster, and Roemer’s fescue. Two of the older pods just to the east and north of the new pod were each enhanced with 25-30 shrubs during the same planting effort.

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 14

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 15

The newly planted trees and shrubs will be watered for the next three summers (through 2024).

Chocolate Lily Population The population of chocolate lily (Frittillaria affinis) located near the southern portions of the former hammer throw field was initially mapped in 2015. The population was inspected closely in 2018 to determine whether it was declining or increasing. Although individual plant counts were not done, it was found that the population extent had not changed significantly from the 2015 mapping (Figure 3).

Riparian Forest Habitat A grass fire in the summer of 2015 damaged some of the riparian trees an area that had originally been planted in 2007 (see Figure 4). Early in 2016 Parks partnered with Nearby Nature to replant the area, replacing dead trees with new healthy seedlings (see photo on page 11). In

2021 Whilamut Natural Area Shrub Pod Planting Plan upated 11/01/21

Planting date: 11/02/21

Quantity 8 9 10 11 (new) Service berry Amelanchier alnifolia 25 5 10 10 Black hawthorn Cretaegus suksdorfii 15 4 4 7 Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor 15 5 2 8 Tall Oregon grape Mahonia aquifolium 12 12 Choke cherry Prunus virginiana 3 3 White oak Quercus garryana 5 1 1 1 2 Red flowering currant Ribes sanguineum 6 6 Nutka rose Rosa nutkana 25 13 6 Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 24 10 14

Approx. Area (sq ft) 1040 720 1400 1400 Total # plants 130 25 30 1 68

*Shrub pod #s are from 2013 shrub pod numbering

Additional Forb/GrassSpecies Planted in New Pod # Size

Yarrow Achillea millefolium ? in walk Self-heal Prunella vulgaris ?

Cinqufoil Potentilla gracilis 52 1 gal Roemer's fescue Festuca roemeri 64 4" Hall's aster Symphyotrichum hallii 2 pool

Shrub pod #*

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 16

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 17

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 18 addition, to help contain future grass fires and minimize damage to the young riparian trees, additional fire breaks were designated and added to the NA Ops annual mowing program.

Talking Stones The CPC continued their stewardship of the Talking Stones through annual weeding, mulching, and planting. This is a much-appreciated effort that helps other park users appreciate and respect these important symbols of the traditional Kalapuya cultural heritage.

Additionally, the CPC Habitat subcommittee led an effort to enhance the area around the Illioo Talking Stone near the Frohnmayer footbridge in fall of 2021. They purchased several dozen native shrubs and planted them adjacent to Illioo and a nearby sitting bench. They also coordinated with Parks staff to place cedar logs across the area to help prevent people from taking a shortcut between the various intersecting paths. Though small, this project will enhance the diversity of the native understory in this part of the riparian forest and provided CPC members with an opportunity to be involved in the stewardship of this location.

Invasive Species Control Control of easily treated, medium to high threat invasive species is always a good strategy for maintaining and enhancing high value habitat at a site. For the Whilamut Natural Area the most treated weeds in the past five years include blackberry, Scotch broom, English ivy, false brome, and invasive woody shrubs. Following is a summary of how invasive species control was approached over the past five years:

Upland Prairie and Savanna Habitats

• Blackberry: for most of the prairie and savanna habitats mowing was the most common method of manual control (2015-2021). Notably, the last remaining large stand of blackberry in the shrub savanna portion of the landfill cover was mowed in 2019. In addition to mowing, either NA Ops staff or contractors were used in to treat blackberry resprouts in

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 19 areas that could not be mowed or in areas with persistent blackberry plants (2015-2018, 2021). This included within the existing shrub pods on the landfill cover.

• Scotch broom: this weed has gradually decreased over the years, however due to the persistence of seeds in the soils, control is still needed every 2-3 years. Sheriff crews and Nearby Nature volunteers and interns have been the primary labor sources for this task.

• Teasel and poison hemlock: as blackberry and Scotch broom plants have been brought under control in recent years, NA Ops staff have begun to spot spray teasel and poison hemlock on the landfill cover. These efforts need to be more strategic in the future, targeting areas of active public use (for poison hemlock) or higher quality habitat areas first.

• Invasive woodies: In 2019 staff mapped invasive woodies, including English hawthorn, black locust, and thundercloud plum on the landfill cover. In fall 2021, a contract crew used a basal treatment on smaller diameter English hawthorn. Additional follow-up is needed to control larger diameter English hawthorn, black locust, and thundercloud plum.

• Mowing: fall mowing was the most important method for controlling blackberry and other woodies in prairie and savanna habitats. While generally spring and summer mowing focuses largely on mowing margins along roads and trail, over the past five years various fire breaks have been established between riparian forest plantings and through the prairie and savanna of the main landfill cover. Will summers becoming increasingly hot and dry these fire breaks will help keep grass fires from covering large areas before the fire department is able to respond.

Riparian Habitat

• English ivy manual control (contractor:

2016, 2019, 2020, 2021). All ivy (including ground ivy) was controlled in the Wildflower Hollow (Figure 3) and riparian forest west of Walnut Road.

Areas west of Walnut Road and along the river to the west of the Frohnmayer Bridge had some ground ivy completed and all ivy removed from tree trunks.

• Blackberry manual control (contractor:

2017, 2018, 2020, 2021) and herbicide control (contractor: 2019).

• Clematis vitalba (contractor 2020, 2021): clematis vines encountered during ivy removal were cut and the roots dug up as much as feasible.

• False brome: spot spray occurred in most year in areas of higher quality or in areas where population was still small enough to control (NA Ops).

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 20 o Rip gut brome (Bromus diandrus): was found encroaching on higher quality areas of the Wildflower Hollow, so was controlled by contractors (2021).

Former filbert orchards o Blackberry control: NA Ops spot sprayed in the filbert orchard in 2020.

o False brome: NA Ops spot sprayed spot sprayed in the filbert orchard area near the

BMX track in 2020 and 2021.

o Scotch broom: Sheriff or contract crew (2017, 2020) and Nearby Nature volunteers and interns (as time allows).

Wildlife-related Habitat Enhancement and Monitoring

Red Fox Parks staff continue to map red fox dens when they are observed or reported by Park users. There are currently eight known fox den locations, though not all are active at any given time of the year. Dens are used for rearing young, hiding from predators, and getting out of unpleasant weather conditions. Multiple dens provide foxes with multiple options across the landscape and may help especially if they are disturbed by off leash dogs or other park user activities.

American Beaver Beavers are active along the length of the Canoe Canal and in the pond, as is often evident by the beaver chew on trees. As has been observed in other natural areas, the more invasive blackberry is controlled in riparian areas, the more vulnerable the vegetation becomes to herbivory by beavers.

Willows, red osier dogwood, and most other native riparian species have evolved with beaver and recover within a few years from any damage that is caused.

However, more mature vegetation such as large cottonwood (a beaver favorite), alder, ash, and maple trees may be killed by being girdled or felled by beaver.

Fox kits are often seen in the spring.

Whilamut Natural Area 5-Year Management Plan (2022-2026) 21

Northwestern Pond Turtles The far northwest corner of the Whilamut Natural Area, northwest of the canoe canal was identified in the 2005 Restoration Plan as having potential for Northwestern pond turtle nesting. This area is mowed, and blackberry and Scotch broom are kept under control to maintain this area in a condition suitable for turtle nesting. Parks staff periodically search this area for signs of turtle nests or depredated eggs, however none have ever been found.

Although no turtles have been observed in the pond or canoe canal in recent years by Parks staff, these areas provide potential habitat for Northwestern pond turtles. In 2018 NA Ops placed and anchored several large new logs to provide basking for turtles or perches for various waterfowl species. These do get regular use by geese, ducks, and cormorants.

Reptile and Amphibian Rock Piles The 2005 Restoration Plan (map 4) identified twelve possible locations to install rock piles to provide habitat for reptiles and amphibians in the upland prairie habitat of the landfill cover.

This plan also included recommendations (Appendix F) for how to construct these structures.

Two of these were constructed by volunteers in 2008. Walama Restoration Project built an additional four rock piles in 2017, as part of the upland prairie restoration project called CILOS (see below). These rock piles were constructed on top of weed fabric material to help reduce weeds and were built slightly larger and with more dense rock material than the original rock piles that were built. After they were completed some weed fabric remained along the edges and reptiles can often be found underneath these remnants.

Gopher snakes found under shade cloth in CILOS prairie restoration area.

Rock pile constructed by Walama in 2017.

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When the Walama constructed their rock piles, they also buried a 5-gallon bucket in the center of each with a dead limb or small tree trunk cemented in place to provide perches for raptors and other birds. Kestrels and songbirds are often observed using these perches. At some point these perches may need to be replaced.

Stewardship and Volunteerism

Walama Restoration Project The five-year community-based environmental education and restoration project known as CILOS (Community Involvement & Long-term Outreach Strategy) was completed in 2019 (see the 2015-2020 plan for more background information about CILOS). This was a prairie restoration project funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation as an enhancement component of the Whilamut Passage Bridge construction project. As part of this project Walama Restoration Project (Walama), a local community organized non-profit, converted three and a half acres of weedy grasses at the eastern area of the landfill cover to upland prairie. One of the primary goals of this project was to involve local schools and community groups. A program called From Seed to Habitat was created and students from 16 local schools had the opportunity to participate in everything from collecting seeds, growing them out at their schools, and planting the seedlings at the CILOS site. The schools included the following:

Academy of Arts and Academics, Adams Elementary, Agnes Stewart Middle, Cal Young Middle, Cesar Chavez Elementary, Churchill Rachel Carson School, Early College and Career Options High, Edgewood Elementary, Eugene Waldorf School, Hamlin Middle, Looking Glass Center Point School, Network Charter School, Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter, South Eugene High, The Village School and Wellsprings Friends School. Additionally, Walama held work parties with various University of Oregon groups (Duck Corps, Holden Center, Environmental Study students & interns), Lane Community College, Lion’s Club, Church of Latter Day Saints, Climate Justice League, Centro de Latino, Looking Glass and Beyond Toxics.

As described in the previous section, four rock pile structures were constructed as part of the CILOS project to provide habitat for small reptiles and amphibians. Integrated singing perches made up of madrone or cedar limbs or snags were designed to provide singing perches for grassland bird species such as the Western meadowlark.

Students clean native seeds as part of the From Seed to Habitat program

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While much of Walama’s efforts were directed at habitat enhancement and stewardship of the CILOS prairie restoration site, they also held work parties in the Butterfly Meadow. This area is an older prairie restoration site, across Leisure Lane from the host house (Figure 1).

Citizen Planning Committee As mentioned above in the section about the Talking Stones, the CPC continued their important role of stewarding the Talking Stones through weeding, mulching, and planting native vegetation nearby.

CPC members played a critical role in collaborating with the City of Eugene, Kalapuya tribal members and others in creating a beautiful updated Kalapuya Talking Stone Brochure. This brochure can be found here: Talking-Stones-Brochure (eugene-or.gov)

Nearby Nature In addition to their important educational efforts, Nearby Nature staff, interns, and volunteers spent many hours removing invasive species, picking up garbage, removing graffiti, and improving trails through the Wildflower Hollow.

Nearby Nature volunteer steward riparian trees between rain showers https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3322/Talking-Stones-Brochure?bidId=

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References Cited

Kalapuya Talking Stones Brochure: https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3322/Talking-Stones-Brochure?bidId=

Restoration and Management Plan for the Landfill Cover and Adjacent Riparian Area in the

Whilamut Natural Area. 2005. City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division.

Whilamut Natural Area Five-Year Natural Area Management Plan 2015-2020. City of Eugene

Parks & Open Space Division.

Appendix A