Draft inventories of Springfield’s water features (wetlands and riparian corridors) within the City’s Urban Growth Boundary expansion areas are ready for review and comments. To provide comments, community members are encouraged to view the report and fill out a feedback survey available on the project webpage at https://bit.ly/SpfldWetlands
The project team will revise the draft report based on input received. The project team will then submit the next draft to the Oregon Department of State Lands for its review and approval. Once finalized, the inventories will inform possible protections of these waterways and will guide future decisions about development.
The results will be shared with the Springfield City Council and the Lane County Board of County Commissioners later this year. This inventory work is being conducted as the next step of the recent expansion of Springfield’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) in 2019.
What: Draft inventories report of Springfield’s water features (wetlands and riparian corridors) and community feedback survey are now available. The project team seeks review and comment by the community and other project stakeholders.
Who: Community members, project stakeholders, including current and future residents, businesses, and other organizations inside and outside of the Springfield area.
When: The project team seeks comments until Monday, February 8, 2021.
Where: 2019 Springfield Urban Growth Boundary Expansion Areas (North Gateway, Mill Race, and more)
For More Information: Monica Sather, Project Manager, 541.736.1038 or msather@springfield-or.gov. Additional information is also available on the project webpage –
https://www.springfield-or.gov/wetland-riparian-inventories-for-ugb-expansion-areas/
Background: The inventories and preferred options for protecting wetlands and riparian corridors in Springfield will result in the second update to the Springfield Natural Resources Study—originally created in 2005. The most recent update to the Study occurred in 2011 for the Glenwood area.
The study areas for this second update total 792 acres. About one-third of the properties in the study areas are privately owned and are reserved for additional employment sites if property owners choose to pursue development. Lands under various combinations of City, Springfield Utility Board, and Willamalane Park and Recreation District ownership make up the remaining two-thirds and will be dedicated to public services, recreational amenities, and open spaces. The UGB expansion areas are located in north Gateway, in southwest Springfield along the Mill Race near the Middle Fork Path and ending at Clearwater Park, and three publicly owned properties across north Springfield—two of which are Lively Park and Ruff Park.
The inventories and assessments are made possible by a Technical Assistance Grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) awarded in January 2020 and is made possible by a contribution from TEAM Springfield partners (in-kind and/or funds): Springfield Utility Board, Willamalane Park and Recreation District, and the City of Springfield. Local matching funds from the City and SUB go toward the cost for environmental consultants to complete the inventory. Funds from the DLCD Grant will also contribute toward this cost and allow for a project partnership between the City and the Lane Council of Governments.
Anyone who is interested in the project can read more on the City’s project webpage. There, anyone can sign up for project updates to be emailed automatically.