Contacts: Mike Russell, Parks Manager, Lane County Parks Division, 541-682-2001
Jason Blazar, Stewardship Coordinator, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, 541-543-6869
Val Rogers, Development Director, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, 541-344-8350
Informational Project Tour - Thursday, July 26 • 6 pm
Lane County Parks and Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah (FBP) have partnered to restore rare native oak savanna and prairie habitat in Howard Buford Recreation Area (Mt. Pisgah). An interpretive tour of the project with FBP Stewardship Coordinator Jason Blazar will take place Thursday evening, July 26 at 6 PM. Register for the tour at www.bufordpark.org/tours. Meet in the “East Trailhead” off Ridgeway Road in Pleasant Hill (Free parking for this tour).
Ninety-eight percent of historic native oak prairie and savanna habitats have disappeared from the Willamette Valley. This project, named for Oregon’s State Bird, the Western Meadowlark, aims to enhance those habitats for future generations to enjoy. “This is something we wouldn’t be able to do without the Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah,” says Mike Russell, Lane County Parks Manager.
The Meadowlark Prairie & Savanna Project will restore or enhance upland and wetland prairie and oak savanna across 265 acres of Howard Buford Recreation Area by:
- Controlling invasive blackberry and other weeds across 265 acres
- Removing Douglas-fir and other trees to restore oak savanna on 24 acres (about one percent of the 2300-acre Buford Park)
- Using ecological fire on up to 85 acres of prairie and savanna
- Sowing site-specific seed mixes of native grasses and forbs
BENEFITS:
- Rescuing large “legacy” oak that are in decline due to shade from firs
- Creating beautiful wildflower displays and vistas
- Improving birding and habitat for grass n, including the Western Meadowlark
- Reducing the risk of destructive wildfire
- Improving forage and habitat for over 150 native wildlife and plant species
The following organizations are providing funding or assistance to implement this significant project: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Lane County Parks Division, the landowner, is working closely with Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, the project coordinator, to implement the project.
Since 1989, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, a non-profit organization, has worked with Lane County and other landowners to enhance and protect native ecosystems and compatible recreation in the Mt. Pisgah area. For more information visit www.bufordpark.org, or email office@bufordpark.org or call 541-344-8350.
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Jennifer Inman, Interim Public Information Officer
Lane County Government
125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene, Oregon 97401
541.682.4526
publicinformation@co.lane.or.us
www.lanecounty.org
www.lanecounty.org/LCSocialMediaSites
Lane County Government works to create a prosperous community by providing collaborative leadership, fair and inclusive decision making, and excellent sustainable local government services to all our residents and guests.