Response for project 199205900: Amazon Basin/Eugene Wetlands -
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
The FY05 budget was $62,712. This amount does not include an inflation increase for FY06. The FY06 budget approved 3/31/05 was $62,473. This approved budget will not cover new work for 2006 which includes work in four newly acquired parcels totaling 164 acres. A within year budget modification request for approximately $20,000 has been submitted to BOG. BOG is scheduled to meet regarding this modification 6/8/2005. We anticiate needing this additional budget increase in FY06 and beyond.
Accomplishments since the last review
| # of acres of new purchase/easement (0.1 ac.) | 164 acres in four new parcels | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | 1.5 miles of fence has been REMOVED from the site in 2003 and 2004. | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | 6 acres of prairie vegetation plantd in Willow Corner; 12 "islands" of native plants installed into Fender's Island; In April 2003 we had a group of volunteers plug willow cuttings into a small eroding tributary of the east fork of Willow Creek | |
| # of acres treated (0.1 ac) | 8 acres of non-native woody vegetation removala nd ash thinning | |
| Remove or Relocate Predaceous Animals | We continue to spend some time monitoring bullfrogs in the ponds along both forks of Willow Creek from late June until they go dry fi. We removed any egg masses that were observed. A few adult bullfrogs were observed (perhaps recent in-migrants). |
The Willow Corner restoration project, which was constructed with funding from BLM, began in August 2003. As of May 2005 this project has restored about 6 acres of TNC owned land on which the BPA wildlife easement has been placed, as well as an additional 7 acres of adjacent City of Eugene owned land. Enhance three acres of oak woodland - Work since 2003 included mowing of blackberries in the understory, girdling of additional dense oaks, monitoring of girdled oaks, and taking annual photo monitoring plots. Restore invaded wet prairie - we have had youth corps crews work on thinning invading ash trees from a 4 acre unit of invaded wet prairie located just east of the East Burn Unit. We have also hired a tree contractor in 2003 and 2004 to remove non-native trees from a 4 acre area.
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | A Management Plan for Willow Creek will be completed | |
| Produce Annual Report | We will submit an annual report | |
| Produce Status Report | Quarterly status reports will be submitted | |
| Conduct Controlled Burn | We plan to conduct three controlled burns, two in wet prairies totalling approximately 50acres and one in an oak woodland of approximately 3-5 acres | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | REMOVE another 0.25-0.5 miles of fencing | |
| # of acres treated (0.1 ac) | remove non-native trees and thin ash from approximately 20 acres of ash woodland | |
| Prepare HEP Report | HEP surveys and reports need are to be completed for the four new parcels | |
| Remove or Relocate Predaceous Animals | continue bullfrog eradication project removing adults and egg masses as they are identified. |
Install weather station in the hayfield. Monitor listed threatened and endangered plant and animal species, including Willamette daisy, Bradshaw’s lomatium, Shaggy horkelia, Curtus’s aster, Kincaid’s lupine, and Fender’s blue butterfly. Perform breeding bird surveys in wet prairie, oak woodland/savanna, ash woodland, and conifer forest habitats. Continue volunteer defensibility monitoring. Monitor fences and signage and maintain or repair as necessary. Monitor hydrology and water quality conditions to compare with baseline conditions regarding streamflows and water quality inputs to the Willow Creek site. Begin non-native vegetative control efforts on Cuddeback, Alvord and Rathbone parcels. Mow to reduce flowering and seeding of problem non-native plant species and spot treat with herbicide where needed. On Cuddeback, mow eastern half one time in August/September and western half one-two times during growing season. Mow fire breaks around entire Cuddeback site and on Alvord and Rathbone as needed. Continue non-native vegetation control efforts; reduce or eliminate the top 10 problem non-native plant species and maintain areas previously treated. In addition to manual and mechanical methods we plan to again hire a Bobcat with a mowing attachment to mow blackberry thickets in oak and ash woodland habitats that we were not able to access with other mowing equipment that we were utilizing. Mow fire breaks around entire site.
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
The project is consistent with the following sections of the subbasin plan: 3.6.2 Opportunities 3.6.2.3 Habitat for Restoration - The Nature Conservancy document Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin (WPG) Ecoregional Assessment (Floberg et al. 2004). 4.4.5 Northwest Oregon Invasive Weed Management Partnership The project coordinates with the Northwest Oregon Invasive Weed Management Partnership. 5.2.2.3 Focus on Valley and Foothills Wildlife Restoration efforts are focused on valley habitats to benefit the unique and rare wildlife species that live there. 5.2.2.4 Restore Lowland Riparian Areas Working to restore riparian vegetation along lowland streams and rivers in agricultural and urban areas. 5.2.2.5 Restore Low-Cost, High-Return Areas of the Willamette River Floodplain* Working to restore natural flow regimes, periodic flooding, complex channels, and functioning riparian areas required to create and maintain the habitat features and dynamics that make floodplains especially productive and biologically diverse. 5.3.2 Terrestrial Biological Objectives Working to increase population trends of focal species, especially those listed under the Endangered Species Act, and the quantity and quality of connected habitats on which they depend. 5.3.2.1 Biological Performance Objectives Project focuses on conservation of many of the biological objectives for the Willamette Subbasin Plan focal terrestrial species displayed in Table 5-1. 5.3.2.2 Habitat Objectives Project addresses Habitat objectives displayed in Table 5-1. Project works in oak woodland, upland prairie, wetland and riparian areas. 5.6.1.4 Riparian Areas Project concentrates efforts in the lowlands of the Willamette Valley. 5.7 Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Project is engaged in several forms of aquatic and terrestrial research, monitoring, and evaluation (RM&E).
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
The project accomplishes priority work under the subbasin plan, because the Prioritization Framework in the Management Plan puts work on Valley and Foothills Wildlife, Lowland Riparian Areas Oak Woodlands, Upland prairies, Wetland, and Terrestrial Biological Objectives especially those listed under the Endangered Species Act, as high priorities.