skinner butte park master plan 2001 · 2019. 6. 5. · skinner butte park master plan 2001 vii...

Skinner Butte Park

2001

master plan

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Skinner Butte Park Master Plan 2001

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CIty of EugeneParks and Open Space Division

Prepared by:Robin Alan Hostick, Landscape ArchitectCity of Eugene Parks Planning

January 2002

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AcknowledgementAcknowledgementAcknowledgementAcknowledgementAcknowledgementsssssThe Skinner Butte Park Master Plan was developed and produced by the City of EugeneParks Planning office. We would like to sincerely thank the hundreds of communitymembers who gave their time and shared their ideas, without whom this would not havebeen possible. It is a testament to the strength of our community, and a demonstration ofa long-term commitment to continually adapt, expand and improve Eugene’s Parks andOpen Space system.

Charles BiggsCarl A. BloodDorothy BloodBeth BridgesGreg BrokawCatrina BullTyler BurgessGlenn CampbellDoug CardJoan ConnollyDon DeWittPeter DixonGreg DuncanMike EbrotColby EiermannRobert EmmonsJohn EtterLeslie FieldRaimon FranckReid Freeman

Key Citizen ParticipantsJim GrimesRob HandyCatherine HeisingAllan HeschLaura HisrichPaul HoobyarWayne IrvinLouranah JaneskiStacey JanssenK. JanuszewskiGeorge JetteKevin JonesKaren JuulSue R. KangasMegan KempleJason C. KidwellSeth KimmelRita KingsburyWayne KingsburyDorothy Krapes

Pat J. LeonardRhoda LoveDennis LueckLarry LynchCharlie MageeNancy McDowellKate McGeeAllison MickelTom MickelGeni MorrowStewart MulfordGlenn MunroBetty MurrellDoug NelsonAdam NovickTracy OlsenAndy PearaKate PerleDave Predeek

Patrick QuinnBecky RileyJake RisleyMike RobinsonAnastasia SandowJan SpencerForest SpiritRand StammEsther StutzmanMareen TwomeyJan VanderTuinKathy WeiderholdLee WhiteRay WileyKathy WilgerJ. R. Williams PhDRev. Elmer WilsonJohn Wolf

Key City of Eugene Staff

Kurt Corey, Public Works DirectorJohnny Medlin, Parks and Open Space Division

ManagerAndrea Riner, Parks Planning ManagerCarolyn Weiss, Parks PlannerPhilip Richardson, Parks PlannerTim Rhay, Parks Maintenance ManagerTrevor Taylor, Natural Resources CoordinatorJesse Cary-Hobbs, Natural Area Maintenance

SupervisorLorna Baldwin, Stream Team CoordinatorMarcia Peeters, Volunteer CoordinatorMark Snyder, Urban ForesterMatt Rivers, Urban ForestryEric Johnson, Parks Maintenance SupervisorJohn Clark, Parks Maintenance SupervisorSarah Medary, Parks Maintenance SupervisorHouston Shepard, Parks MaintenanceLarry Greenwood, Maintenance SupervisorEd Sharek, Parks Maintenance

Louis Kroeck, Principal Landscape ArchitectEmily Proudfoot, Landscape ArchitectKevin Finney, Landscape ArchitectTherese Walch, Water Resource ManagerLinda Harris, Water Resource Engineering Associate

Ed Alverson, Natural Resources Specialist

Rita Kingsbury, Recreation Senior Services ManagerWally Wallberg, Recreation Program SupervisorMarilyn Kalstad, Recreation Manager Outdoor

AdventureRoger Bailey, Recreation Program Supervisor

Gary McNeel, Transportation Development ManagerDiane Bishop, Bicycle Transportation Coordinator

Mike Penwell, Facilities Principal Facilities ProjectManager

Meredith Cavender, Facilities Project Manager

Kathy Briner, Planning and Development DeputyDirector

Lew Bowers, Neighborhood, Housing and CommunityDevelopment Division Manager

Mike Sullivan, Financial and Urban Services ManagerKen Guzowski, Historic Preservation Program

ManagerEric Wold, Natural Resources PlannerAnn Siegenthaler, Land Use Management Tree Permit

Analyst

Skinner Butte Park Master Plan 2001 v

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Chapter 1: Overview & Summary ........................................... 1Why a Master Plan? ............................................................................................. 1Master Plan Methodology .................................................................................... 6Master Plan Highlights ....................................................................................... 10Issues ................................................................................................................. 10Vision Statement ................................................................................................ 11Goals .................................................................................................................. 12Strategies ........................................................................................................... 14Priorities ............................................................................................................. 16

Chapter 2: Natural History and Cultural Context ................ 19Introduction ........................................................................................................ 19Geography ......................................................................................................... 19Flora and Fauna................................................................................................. 20The Kalapuya ..................................................................................................... 24Euro-American Settlement ................................................................................. 27A Brief History of Skinner Butte Park ................................................................. 29

Chapter 3: Inventory and Assessment .................................37Introduction ........................................................................................................ 37Natural Resources ............................................................................................. 37Cultural Resources ............................................................................................ 41Park Facilities ..................................................................................................... 42Transporation and Access ................................................................................. 43Context and Surrounding Areas ........................................................................ 45

Chapter 4: Current use, Policy and Managmenet ...............47Introduction ........................................................................................................ 47Role and Function .............................................................................................. 47Management ...................................................................................................... 50Current Policy and Trends .................................................................................. 52

Chapter 5: Skinner Butte Park Master Plan ........................57Park Policy Framework ...................................................................................... 57Management Units ............................................................................................ 60Management Unit Descriptions ......................................................................... 62Habitat Management Plan ................................................................................. 69Viewshed Management Plan ............................................................................. 73Implementation Plan .......................................................................................... 76

Bibliography ........................................................................... 77

Appendix A: Maps ................................................................. 79

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FiguresFiguresFiguresFiguresFigures

Figure 1: Sample Concept Diagram ............................................................. 7Figure 2: Historic Vegetation Patterns (1850) ............................................. 21Figure 3: Skinner Butte Summit Mowed Area .............................................. 63Figure 4: Vegetation Management Concept ................................................. 70 - 71Figure 5: Trail Safety Concept ...................................................................... 70 - 71Figure 6: Edge Condition Concept .............................................................. 70 - 71Figure 7: Bird Migration Overlay Zone ......................................................... 73Figure 8: Critical Viewshed Overlay Zone .................................................... 74Figure 9: Sample View Threshold ................................................................ 75

Appendix A: MapsAppendix A: MapsAppendix A: MapsAppendix A: MapsAppendix A: Maps

Map 1: Draft Master PlanMap 2: Site FeaturesMap 3: TopographyMap 4: Natural ResourcesMap 5: Visitor’s Loop VisionMap 6: Site Context MapMap 7: Management UnitsMap 8: Riverbank Stabilization ConceptMap 9: Proposed Trail SystemMap 10: Air Photo (1999)

Skinner Butte Park Master Plan 2001 vii

Eugene Skinner didn’t settle here because he was tired of looking. On the western toe ofa steep, grassy knoll, a stone’s throw from the region’s mightiest river and overlooking apanorama of some of the most fertile land in the west, Skinner knew he’d found his place.He described the southern end of the Willamette Valley as a nest within the surroundinggreen hills. It was beautiful, and it suited him.

The fact that he settled here, then, is not particularly remarkable. What is most remarkableis that some of the land that he once roamed and farmed is still open to the public, morethan 150 years later, in the center of the busy, modern city that has grown up around hiscabin outpost. One hundred acres of parkland, a quarter mile of river bank, a butte andmyriad forests and meadows now comprise one of the most valuable public land resourcesin the city of Eugene.

Skinner Butte Park is, essentially, at the heart of the city. It is appropriate that Eugene,often dubbed the “Emerald City”, has a heart of green. Of course this, too, is no accident.The city has remained green only by the will and care of many generations of Eugeneresidents. It is in the honor of this tradition that we respectfully submit this body of work topreserve and reaffirm the value of this resource for the many generations to follow.

RAH

ForewForewForewForewForewordordordordord

Skinner Butte Park Master Plan 2001 1

Why a Master Plan?

Resource Without a VisonSkinner Butte Park, as it exists today, hasnever been the subject of a comprehensivepublic involvement and planning process.Over 30 years ago, in 1969, the last majorplanning effort for Skinner Butte Park wasundertaken. This was mainly a visioningprocess involving a city-wide request forideas and suggestions for “what to do withthe butte”. Unfortunately, the focus of thiseffort did not encompass the entire park,and the plan lacks the element of publicconsensus that we now consider essential.Some plans developed prior to 1969,including drawings from the 1920s and1930s, show a broader vision that includedmore of the area now considered to beSkinner Butte Park, however they still lackanalysis, public involvement andconsensus. One result of an absence ofshared vision is that the park begins to loseits identity. Without the strength of identity,the park is much less likely to capture theattention, or the resources, that it needs toserve the community.

Aging Facilities, ChangingEnvironmentWhy do we need a vision for a majormetropolitan park? What are theconsequences of not having a vision? Avisit to Skinner Butte Park today will quicklytell the tale of an aging infrastructure and arapidly changing environment. Many of theprocesses at work in Skinner Butte Park areunderstood well enough, but changehappens slowly and the current condition,although degraded, becomes the acceptednorm.

While it is true that most infrastructure maybe repaired and replaced as necessary, arepair and replacement strategy does nottake into consideration changing needs inthe community, shifts in use patterns, or theslow attrition of interest and vitality. As thecommunity changes and grows, therefore,so too must the park proactively transformto keep pace and provide for thecommunity’s recreational andpsychological needs.

For the park’s natural areas, however, thesituation is more complex and urgent.Since Euro-Americans settled the region,the vegetation patterns in the park havetraveled a course of irrevocable change.The forestation of native meadows, andmost importantly the extremely rapidspread of invasive plants has forced us tomake a decision about how these areaswill be managed. It is clear that failure tomake a decision will not only result in thehomogenization and extinction of manynative plant and animal species within thepark, but will create a new set of issues tobe addressed, such as public safety andmaintenance. Clearly, some action isnecessary. What is required, therefore, isa template for the degree to which thisnatural progression of events will beallowed to continue, to be halted, or to bereversed through restoration andreclamation.

From the pre-historic use of Skinner Butteby the Kalapuya Indians as a lookout andceremonial area, to the contemporarypopularity of hiking and birding, to thenecessity of providing respite from theurban condition, the natural areas of

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2 Chapter I: Overvierw & Summary

Skinner Butte Park are a meeting groundfor one of the most ubiquitous conflicts ofinterest of modern times: humans andnature. Clearly, as the population of theregion increases, this conflict is not likelyto diminish in the near future. In additionto managing certain areas of the park fortheir inherent natural resource values,therefore, it is also logical that there mustalso be some basis, some vision formanaging human use of the park.

The park and its natural areas cannot beseparated, nor can they be ignored ashaving separate needs. Balancing theresponsibility of providing for the needs ofthe public with protecting the aspects ofthe park that they most value becomes akey theme that a guiding vision mustaddress.

Multiple InterestsSkinner Butte Park has been, and willcontinue to be, the subject of great publicinterest. The sheer diversity of habitats andexperiences available in the park haveattracted varied groups of people withdifferent plans and goals. Without a clearvision for the park, reconciling diverse

interests is likely to be accomplishedthrough temporary measures andcompromises based on the needs anddesires of certain individuals and groups.In all fairness to the parties involved,decisions to resolve such competinginterests are best made based on solid,publicly-supported criteria.

More importantly, perhaps, is the long-termeffect of having no clear vision. Since anygiven proposal may affect the parkprofoundly for many years, it is essentialfor the review process to be based on agood, clear knowledge of the park’sgreatest values, and how a particularproposal will impact these values.

Bond Measure FundingThe 1998 Parks and Open Space bondmeasure, on the recommendation of thebond measure committee, proposed theconstruction of a softball field and sandvolleyball areas in the currentlyundeveloped west end of Skinner ButtePark. At the same time, a group ofWhiteaker area residents had begun to forma grass-roots proposal to develop ahistorical, community farm in this samearea. As the neighborhood proposal tookshape and was formally submitted to theCity, the disparity of interests in this area ofthe park became apparent.

The conflict raised a number of issues. Oneissue was that no plan existed for SkinnerButte Park, and, therefore, no publiclyadopted criteria to guide a decision. Inessence, there was no reasonable way togauge the public support or public needbetween these two, mutually exclusiveproposals. Furthermore, the communityfarm versus ball field issue was just one ofmany burgeoning issues and proposalsrelated to Skinner Butte Park that wouldotherwise need to be evaluated anddecided on an individual basis. Secondly,either proposal would be a significant, long-term commitment of a large area of publicopen space in a key metropolitan park. Itwas determined, therefore, that a decisionshould not be made on the basis ofindividual need or case arguments alone.It must be brought to the public and

Multiple interestsrequire a sounddecision-makingframework

This is the firstcomprehenive planfor the park

Entrance sign in the east end of the park nearthe Campbell Senior Center


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discussed in a more comprehensive wayin the context of the entire park. The forummust also be appropriately far-reaching toinclude opinions from the entire community.

Finally, how would the bond measurefunding be spent with no clear rationale forpriorities in the park? A thorough publicprocess would help direct the funding towhere it was needed most, and to alignimprovements as closely as possible withcurrent public values as they apply toSkinner Butte Park.

Grant FundingAs the debate over the development of thewest end of the park illustrates, a park visionbased on community consensus andsupport not only reduces conflict but allowsa much more proactive approach to parkmanagement strategies and improvementsthat directly benefit the community. Withoutsuch a vision, plans may be put on holdand management strategies suspendedindefinitely amid disagreement.

Not surprisingly, this is also true for fundingsources. Once a master plan is establishedthat is demonstrably supported by thecommunity, community leaders, committeemembers and funding agencies feel moreconfident in backing a particular proposal.Not only are projects and managementstrategies easier to support, but a masterplan is often a basic requirement for fundingeligibility. This can mean the support of thepublic for local funding options such asbond measures, as well as the support ofother federal, state and private sources.Communities that have a demonstratedneed and have a demonstrated vision arein a better position to take advantage ofthese resources. To make the investmentnow in reaching out to the public andcollaboratively developing a vision for thepark’s future has the potential to paydividends.

What Purpose Does the MasterPlan Serve?There are a variety of goals that the processof developing a master plan seeks toachieve. The following list describes indetail some of the most important of thesegoals.

Goal 1: Create a long-term vision toguide decisions and managementClearly, a key purpose of the masterplanning process is to provide a forum forthe discussion of long-term decisionsregarding management and improvementof the park. The process not only focuseson discussion of current needs, butreaches up to 20 years ahead to plan forlong-term change and future needs. Themaster planing process, therefore, is a wayto collaboratively create a vision of how thepark should ideally look and function overthe next generation.

Goal 2: Catalog and prioritizeinfrastructure improvement needs forfutureOver time, a large and diverse park willrequire the input of dozens of differentindividuals and organizations with widelyvarying interests. The master planningprocess provides a forum to research,discuss and list these interests and needs,from maintenance to historic interpretation,in one central document that can be usedas a guide, marketing tool and work plan.Also, as an overlay of community values,the process of setting priorities helps focus

“A great parkdeserves a greatplan, and thecommunity deservesboth.” -RAH

Wrecked car bodies reinforce the river bank near theI-105 bridge


energy and resources on the mostimportant projects, and outlines a logicalsequence of future steps towardsrealization of the overall vision.

Goal 3: Involve the public and raiseawareness of this valuableresourceWith the public involvement toolsavailable, a key goal of the masterplanning process is to engage thecommunity in a detailed discussion ofthe park. To get people involved withthe park, to ask them to take a close,hard look, to see the potential, and thento collectively record what they saw, isnot simply a goal of the process, it isthe process. Raising awareness carriesa number of benefits for Skinner ButtePark and parks in general. Here are justa few of these benefits:

� Increasing positive, legitimate parkuse

� Increasing the pool of volunteerresources

� Increasing overall awareness ofparks and public land resources

� Inspiring public discussion ofgeneral park issues and how toapproach them

� Inspiring donations or uncoveringother funding opportunities throughnetworking

� Building a stronger community bybringing diverse segments of thecommunity together over acommon theme

Goal 4: Uncover issues and adoptpolicies to address themIn the course of engaging the public andassessing their values, current issues areuncovered. The master plan is anopportunity to discuss these issues indetail, and it affords a means ofdeveloping and adopting policies thatare able to address them in the mostsensitive and informed way. It createsopportunities for face-to-facediscussions with stakeholder groups,and at the same time allows themeaningful incorporation of the opinionsof the broader community.

Goal 5: Realign mission of parks tomatch needs and values of thecommunityIdeally, parks reflect the character of thesurrounding neighborhood andcommunity. Keeping step with the needsand values of the people that shape thatcharacter cannot be done withoutengaging the community in a sincereand proactive manner. Although thevalues of the community as a whole canoften be seen as a thread throughout theparks system, it is a challenge to assessthe overall values of the entirecommunity around a particular park.This is especially true for a resource asunique and diverse as Skinner ButtePark. Therefore, an up-to-date measureof the community’s needs and values isneeded to incorporate them directly intothe mission of the park. It provides clearsteps for bringing people’s overall valuesand park values into alignment.

Children playing in Skinner Butte Park

Raising awareness ofthe park carries anumber of benefitsfor the park and thecommunity


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How will the master plan beused?The master plan document itself is intendedto serve a number of functions. These aresome of the most important of thesefunctions:

� Handbook for implementing anupdated vision for the park

� Work plan for the prioritizedimprovements

� Criteria for specific work plan projects� Policy framework for decisions

affecting the park� Resource management strategy� Direction for bond measure funding� Planning framework to pursue other

funding� Tool to raise public awareness

How long is the master planvalid?The master plan represents a vision for thepark over the next generation, orapproximately 20 years. The objective isthat this vision will be substantially realizedat some point within that time period. In amore pragmatic sense, the plan will remainvalid as long as its policies remainconsistent with the needs and values of thepublic. As attitudes shift, certain aspectsof the plan may come to the forefront, andother aspects may become less important.

Local residents overlook theWillamette River and Whiteakerarea from the west end of SkinnerButte circa 1890. Note the clusterof family farms along the river’sedge.

A clear plan opensthe door for manyfunding opportunities


Master PlanMethodology

ApproachThe master planning process for SkinnerButte Park involved careful integration ofresearch and public involvement to developa thorough, objective plan firmly rooted incurrent, broad-base community values.Dozens of stakeholder groups andindividuals were involved in its developmentat every level through a format aimed atinvolvement on a number of levels to reflecta cross-section of the community that thepark serves.

ResearchExtensive research was carried out forhistorical aspects and current conditionsof the park. City archives, the Lane CountyHistorical Society, the University of OregonLandscape Architecture Department, oralhistories, interviews, and on-siteevaluations contributed to the body ofinformation contained in this master plan.

Public WorkshopsCity of Eugene Parks Planning staff hosteda series of three public workshops at theCampbell Senior Center between April 2000and June 2001, drawing over 120participants. The first workshop was an all-day event including a presentation of thehistory and current status of Skinner ButtePark, a walking tour and evaluation, and agroup discussion of issues andopportunities within the park. The secondworkshop focused on reviewing a draftvision statement, policy goals andstrategies for the master plan, and tworounds of group discussions to reviewconcept diagrams of key issues andopportunities (see Figure 1). The thirdworkshop involved general discussion ofthe draft master plan drawing, a revisedvision statement and goals, and acomprehensive list of master planstrategies and actions. Participants at thethird workshop also helped set priorities forproject implementation.

Survey and Comment StationsAs the first step in seeking the broad-basecommunity input required for the planningof a metropolitan park, Advanced MarketingResearch, Inc. was hired to implement andanalyze a citywide, random-sample surveyon general park issues and questionsdirectly related to Skinner Butte Park. With2,500 forms mailed, the survey received agood response, and the demographics ofthe respondents were determined to be agood reflection of the broader Eugenecommunity. Information gathered from thissurvey helped inform the planning process,and was also presented for discussion atthe second public workshop (see Summaryof Citywide Survey Results on facing page).

The second step in broad-base communityoutreach involved the placement of fiveself-service comment stations with large,color displays of the Draft Master Plandrawing in prominent public locationsaround the city. These locations includedthe downtown LTD bus station, the 5th StreetMarket, Amazon Community Center,Sheldon Community Center and EchoHollow Pool. A total of 92 comment sheets

PPPPPublic Wublic Wublic Wublic Wublic Workshop #2:orkshop #2:orkshop #2:orkshop #2:orkshop #2:Communicate research, evaluate

vision goals, developactions list

RRRRResearesearesearesearesearch:ch:ch:ch:ch:Detailed site analysis

PPPPPublic Wublic Wublic Wublic Wublic Workshop #1:orkshop #1:orkshop #1:orkshop #1:orkshop #1:Issues and Opportunities

RRRRResearesearesearesearesearch:ch:ch:ch:ch:History & Current Status

PPPPPublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:Community Survey

RRRRResearesearesearesearesearch:ch:ch:ch:ch:Questions and Stakeholders

Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Draft vision and goals

Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Draft concept plan, list of

actions, staff review

PPPPPublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:Public display of draft concept

plan

PPPPPublic Wublic Wublic Wublic Wublic Workshop #3:orkshop #3:orkshop #3:orkshop #3:orkshop #3:Evaluate concept plan, set

funding priorities

Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Develop final master plan

PPPPPublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:ublic Involvement:Review final master plan

Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Planning:Plan adoption

“The columns” public climbing area

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Eugene Parks arecurrently wellbalanced betweenrecreaton andnatural areas

General� Most people list leisure and relaxation as their main reason for visiting Skinner

Butte Park, followed by exercise and nature.� The most frequently used amenities in Skinner Butte Park are the bike path, parking

areas, and the butte viewpoint.� The playground is used by nearly half of all visitors to Skinner Butte Park.� Amenities that people feel would most improve the experience in Skinner Butte

Park are drinking fountains, walking trails and natural areas.� Almost everyone feels it is important to convey local history in Skinner Butte Park.

Circulation and Access� Most people arrive at Skinner Butte Park by car.� About 90% of the respondents listed the bike path as their most frequently visited

area of the park.� Most people thought that High Street should be the main entrance to the park.� Most people support opening the connection under I-105 to Owen Rose Garden

for bikes and pedestrians.

Natural Areas� Most people feel that Eugene's parks currently have a good balance between

natural resources and recreation.� People's highest priority for improvement efforts focused on protecting and

enhancing natural areas and river bank areas.� Eugene residents support river bank stabilization and habitat improvements even

if it means removing portions of lawn areas, but less so if it means removingmature trees and replacing them with new ones.

� Most residents favor a moderate approach to balancing preservation of viewsfrom the top of the butte with preservation of existing trees, whereby some thinningand tree removal to preserve or partially restore views would be acceptable.

Survey Says . . . Summary of Citywide Survey Results

Figure 1: SampleConcept Diagram

This is a sample of a conceptdiagram used for discussion and

brainstorming at the secondpublic workshop. This diagram

illustrates ideas and issuesraised at the first workshop

dealing with one key aspect ofthe park: natural areas and

habitat restoration.


were filled out and deposited in commentboxes at all locations. On a scale of oneto ten, participants were encouraged to ratetheir support for the master plan (10 = highsupport, 1= low support). The averagelevel of support for the Draft Master Planamong respondents was 8.5 out of 10.Respondents were also asked whether ornot they felt the draft master plan met theirneeds. Over 80% of the respondentsreplied YES, the draft master plan met theirneeds.

AdvertisementAdvertisement for public involvementefforts included direct-mail postcardinvitations to over 3000 neighbors,individuals and stakeholder organizations,display ads in the Register-Guard andEugene Weekly, news releases, personalcontact and interviews with over 50stakeholder organizations and individuals,and listing on the City public meetings

calendar. Many steps of the process werecovered by local newspapers, televisionstations and radio stations. A special webpage was also created on the City ofEugene web site to allow 24-hour accessto information related to the planningprocess (see www/ci.eugene.or.us/pw/parks/).

FocusThe Skinner Butte Park Master Plan takesa broad focus to cover all areas, aspectsand uses of the park comprehensively. Italso aspires to reveal and express theunique attributes of the park, meaningthose that hold the most value for thecommunity and park system, and keepthem in mind throughout the process. Inessence, the focus of this plan is to seekout and describe common themes thatunify the park experience, as well as itsdifferent needs, and outline their future in abalanced way.

� A total of 92 comment sheets were filled out and deposited in comment boxes at fivedifferent locations around Eugene. Several comment sheets were mailed to city staff.

� The average level of support for the draft master plan was 8.5 out of 10The average level of support for the draft master plan was 8.5 out of 10The average level of support for the draft master plan was 8.5 out of 10The average level of support for the draft master plan was 8.5 out of 10The average level of support for the draft master plan was 8.5 out of 10

� Over 80% of the respondents said YES , the draft master plan meets their needsOver 80% of the respondents said YES , the draft master plan meets their needsOver 80% of the respondents said YES , the draft master plan meets their needsOver 80% of the respondents said YES , the draft master plan meets their needsOver 80% of the respondents said YES , the draft master plan meets their needs

� The top three priorities listed by respondents for spending current Parks and Open Spacebond measure funding were:

1) Natural area restoration2) Riverbank interpretive trail3) Butte trail system

He said, She said . . . Comment Station Highlights

Outreach effortssought opinionsfrom a broad crosssection of the entirecommunity

(continued on next page)


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There are four particular areas thatgenerally summarize the focus ofdiscussion: history, natural resources, parkamenities and site circulation. Mostelements of the master plan will deal withon one or more of these areas. It is in theircombination, however, that they are mostvaluable, and should be considered.

Further DevelopmentOne element of the master plan is a set ofcriteria to guide more detailed planningefforts. The implication is that these effortswill refine the master plan in the scope ofits findings and recommendations. Themaster plan, therefore, will serve as theplanning umbrella for these refinementsand provide the policy framework for theirexecution.

ScopeFile documents show widely varyingdefinitions of Skinner Butte Park. In mostdocuments, one or more elements of thepark have either been omitted or have sincechanged through property acquisition orsimilar actions. To clarify this for the currentmaster planning effort, the park area shallbe defined henceforth as follows:

Skinner Butte Park encompasses all city-owned park property abutting the southbank of the Willamette River from the FerryStreet Bridge extending west to the I-105bridge, and extending from the banks of

the Willamette River southward to CheshireAvenue, Second Avenue, the 3rd/4thConnector, or to the boundary of residentialand/or commercial property.

Specific elements contained withinthe scope of the planCampbell Senior Center, Lamb Cottage,the residential dwelling occupied by ChildCare, Inc., the “columns” climbing area,and other facilities contained within the parkand serving a park, recreation or openspace function are contained within thescope of the master plan.

Special relationshipsThe master plan recognizes certain featuresthat are integral to the park, but currentlyserve a non-park specific purpose, areguided by different sets of goals, and/or areunder separate management.Recommendations or accommodationsmay be made for these features in themaster plan, but must be applied througha collaborative effort with other Citydepartments or external organizations.These features include the 1926 EWEB-owned reservoir, the communicationstower, the Shelton-McMurphy-Johnsonhouse and property, and the Lincoln Yardarea (see Map 2: Site Features).

Despite its age, the playground at Skinner Butte Parkis still a popular destination. Over half of park visitorsreport using this facility.

Skinner Butte Park,as defined for thisplan, is about 100acres in size andincludes manyspecial features.


Issue #1: The mission and role of thepark is unclear.....

Issue #2: The park’s rich natural andcultural history hastremendous potential but ispoorly represented andinterpreted.

Issue #3: Active management ofnatural areas is needed.....

Issue #4: Park amenities areinsufficient and out-dated.

Issue #5: The butte embodies multipleunique values.

Master PlanHighlights

OverviewThe following are some highlights of themaster plan. The issues, vision, goals andstrategies form the framework within whichthe more detailed Management Plans andImplementation Plan are created. Thesesections are discussed in Chapter 6:Skinner Butte Park Master Plan.

IssuesOne of the key objectives of the firstworkshop was to explore issues facingSkinner Butte Park. The following listhighlights the most commonly mentionedand critical of these issues. The list hasbeen updated and revised as research andbroader public input helped direct theprocess. The planning process was aimedat addressing these specific issues, whichhelped set the tone for discussions andresearch leading to master planrecommendations.

Issues in Skinner Butte Park

Issue #6: The Willamette River is a keycomponent of the park.....

Issue #7: A connection from the butteto downtown is of keyimportance, but does notcurrently exist.

Issue #8: Access and circulation areadequate, but could beimproved.....

The few small areas of native upland prairie thatremain on Skinner Butte are rapidly disappearing

Issues are describedin greater detail inChapter 5


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Vision StatementThe Skinner Butte Park vision statementresponds to the issues and desiresgenerated at the first public workshop. It isa long-term picture of how the park shouldlook and function. A draft vision statementwas presented at the second workshop andamended to become more inclusive and

respond to a desire for emphasis in certainareas. The goals, strategies and actionslisted hereafter are all tools to realize thisvision.

As the birAs the birAs the birAs the birAs the birthplace of Eugene, and as a unique landmark of geographythplace of Eugene, and as a unique landmark of geographythplace of Eugene, and as a unique landmark of geographythplace of Eugene, and as a unique landmark of geographythplace of Eugene, and as a unique landmark of geography, histor, histor, histor, histor, history andy andy andy andy andecologyecologyecologyecologyecology, Skinner Butte P, Skinner Butte P, Skinner Butte P, Skinner Butte P, Skinner Butte Park plays a vital role at the hearark plays a vital role at the hearark plays a vital role at the hearark plays a vital role at the hearark plays a vital role at the heart of our communityt of our communityt of our communityt of our communityt of our community. The care. The care. The care. The care. The careand stewardship of this public resource shall be a top priorityand stewardship of this public resource shall be a top priorityand stewardship of this public resource shall be a top priorityand stewardship of this public resource shall be a top priorityand stewardship of this public resource shall be a top priority, with a focus on, with a focus on, with a focus on, with a focus on, with a focus oncreating a “crown jewel” of Eugene’s parks. Skinner Butte Pcreating a “crown jewel” of Eugene’s parks. Skinner Butte Pcreating a “crown jewel” of Eugene’s parks. Skinner Butte Pcreating a “crown jewel” of Eugene’s parks. Skinner Butte Pcreating a “crown jewel” of Eugene’s parks. Skinner Butte Park will foster civic prideark will foster civic prideark will foster civic prideark will foster civic prideark will foster civic prideand a citywide sense of communityand a citywide sense of communityand a citywide sense of communityand a citywide sense of communityand a citywide sense of community, and will provide a diverse blend of recreational, and will provide a diverse blend of recreational, and will provide a diverse blend of recreational, and will provide a diverse blend of recreational, and will provide a diverse blend of recreationaland educational opporand educational opporand educational opporand educational opporand educational opportunities for evertunities for evertunities for evertunities for evertunities for everyone. This shall be accomplished byyone. This shall be accomplished byyone. This shall be accomplished byyone. This shall be accomplished byyone. This shall be accomplished byemphasizing and interpreting its rich cultural historemphasizing and interpreting its rich cultural historemphasizing and interpreting its rich cultural historemphasizing and interpreting its rich cultural historemphasizing and interpreting its rich cultural history and unique geographyy and unique geographyy and unique geographyy and unique geographyy and unique geography, including, including, including, including, includingthe butte and the Willamette River; by building a stronger connection to downtown; bythe butte and the Willamette River; by building a stronger connection to downtown; bythe butte and the Willamette River; by building a stronger connection to downtown; bythe butte and the Willamette River; by building a stronger connection to downtown; bythe butte and the Willamette River; by building a stronger connection to downtown; byrevitalizing its core park facilities and, above all; by protecting and enhancing itsrevitalizing its core park facilities and, above all; by protecting and enhancing itsrevitalizing its core park facilities and, above all; by protecting and enhancing itsrevitalizing its core park facilities and, above all; by protecting and enhancing itsrevitalizing its core park facilities and, above all; by protecting and enhancing itsvaluable native habitats for the enjoyment of future generations.valuable native habitats for the enjoyment of future generations.valuable native habitats for the enjoyment of future generations.valuable native habitats for the enjoyment of future generations.valuable native habitats for the enjoyment of future generations.

The vision statement is founded stronglyin public values, as shown in the followingsampling of visionary quotes from theSkinner Butte Park Workshop #1 Report:

� “Improved recreational opportunities for thelarge community.”

� “It gives us a sense of place, a landmark. Asense of time . . .”

� “ . . . create on the butte a most enjoyablesite for citizens and guests to visit, a “crownjewel” of Eugene.

� “A connection from city to river, and aconnection with our past . . . “

� “ . . . a natural, native, wildlife and plantspace.”

� “As a person from the broader community,I’ve enjoyed this park because of its size,proximity to the river, capacity toaccommodate large picnics, large turf areasfor a variety of play, natural areas, viewsfrom the top, botanical diversity, ability toaccommodate special events that are notappropriate for other parks.”

� “ . . . bring back its natural beauty - theKalapuya’s vision, the Skinners, theimmigrants, the farm . . .”

� “As an environment of green space, urbanforest, natural waterway - provides a majorurban area with a very necessary non-urbanenvironment - an area where the entirecommunity can stay in touch with naturalbeauty and potentially agricultural aspectswhich are necessary to our lives.”

� “As a site for recreating. As a site foreducation.”

Spencer Butte as seen from SkinnerButte overlook

The vision statementsets the bar for themaster plan


GoalsThe following goals are adapted fromresearch, interviews and responses atpublic workshops for the Skinner ButteMaster plan. These goals set the stage forspecific ways of achieving the visionpresented in the vision statement. They canalso be called “policy goals” in that theyaffect park improvement, maintenance andprogramming policies, as well as howfuture ideas for what to do with the parkwill be evaluated.

1.1.1.1.1. PreserPreserPreserPreserPreserve, enhance and recognizeve, enhance and recognizeve, enhance and recognizeve, enhance and recognizeve, enhance and recognizeSkinner Butte PSkinner Butte PSkinner Butte PSkinner Butte PSkinner Butte Park’s rich ark’s rich ark’s rich ark’s rich ark’s rich natural andnatural andnatural andnatural andnatural andcultural historcultural historcultural historcultural historcultural historyyyyy as a predominant as a predominant as a predominant as a predominant as a predominanttheme, and promote this throughtheme, and promote this throughtheme, and promote this throughtheme, and promote this throughtheme, and promote this throughdiverse interpretive and educationaldiverse interpretive and educationaldiverse interpretive and educationaldiverse interpretive and educationaldiverse interpretive and educationalopporopporopporopporopportunities.tunities.tunities.tunities.tunities.

2.2.2.2.2. Protect, repair and restore the healthProtect, repair and restore the healthProtect, repair and restore the healthProtect, repair and restore the healthProtect, repair and restore the healthand viability of and viability of and viability of and viability of and viability of diverse habitat typesdiverse habitat typesdiverse habitat typesdiverse habitat typesdiverse habitat typesin Skinner Butte Pin Skinner Butte Pin Skinner Butte Pin Skinner Butte Pin Skinner Butte Park by creativelyark by creativelyark by creativelyark by creativelyark by creativelymanaging valuable natural resourcesmanaging valuable natural resourcesmanaging valuable natural resourcesmanaging valuable natural resourcesmanaging valuable natural resourcesand successional processes.and successional processes.and successional processes.and successional processes.and successional processes.

3.3.3.3.3. Improve and maintain Skinner ButteImprove and maintain Skinner ButteImprove and maintain Skinner ButteImprove and maintain Skinner ButteImprove and maintain Skinner ButtePPPPPark as a keyark as a keyark as a keyark as a keyark as a key, , , , , high-quality civichigh-quality civichigh-quality civichigh-quality civichigh-quality civicdestinationdestinationdestinationdestinationdestination for private, public, for private, public, for private, public, for private, public, for private, public,community and neighborhood socialcommunity and neighborhood socialcommunity and neighborhood socialcommunity and neighborhood socialcommunity and neighborhood socialevents, activities and individualevents, activities and individualevents, activities and individualevents, activities and individualevents, activities and individualrecreation.recreation.recreation.recreation.recreation.

Setting clear goals isa necessary part ofrealizing a vision

4.4.4.4.4. Recognize the Recognize the Recognize the Recognize the Recognize the Willamette RiverWillamette RiverWillamette RiverWillamette RiverWillamette River and and and and andthe river corridor as a key componentthe river corridor as a key componentthe river corridor as a key componentthe river corridor as a key componentthe river corridor as a key componentof Skinner Butte Pof Skinner Butte Pof Skinner Butte Pof Skinner Butte Pof Skinner Butte Park, and to protect,ark, and to protect,ark, and to protect,ark, and to protect,ark, and to protect,repair and restore this resource whilerepair and restore this resource whilerepair and restore this resource whilerepair and restore this resource whilerepair and restore this resource whileintegrating a balance of recreationalintegrating a balance of recreationalintegrating a balance of recreationalintegrating a balance of recreationalintegrating a balance of recreationalaccess and use.access and use.access and use.access and use.access and use.

5.5.5.5.5. Emphasize and encourage Emphasize and encourage Emphasize and encourage Emphasize and encourage Emphasize and encourage bicyclebicyclebicyclebicyclebicycleand pedestrianand pedestrianand pedestrianand pedestrianand pedestrian transpor transpor transpor transpor transportation whiletation whiletation whiletation whiletation whileproviding for clearproviding for clearproviding for clearproviding for clearproviding for clear, convenient and, convenient and, convenient and, convenient and, convenient andadequate disabled access andadequate disabled access andadequate disabled access andadequate disabled access andadequate disabled access andvehicular use within Skinner Buttevehicular use within Skinner Buttevehicular use within Skinner Buttevehicular use within Skinner Buttevehicular use within Skinner ButtePPPPPark .ark .ark .ark .ark .

6.6.6.6.6. Recognize and strengthen SkinnerRecognize and strengthen SkinnerRecognize and strengthen SkinnerRecognize and strengthen SkinnerRecognize and strengthen SkinnerButte PButte PButte PButte PButte Park’s ark’s ark’s ark’s ark’s connection withconnection withconnection withconnection withconnection withdowntowndowntowndowntowndowntowndowntown and adjacent and adjacent and adjacent and adjacent and adjacentneighborhoods.neighborhoods.neighborhoods.neighborhoods.neighborhoods.

View southeast towards theWillamette River ca. 1900.

Skinner Butte has been a populardestination for generations, and is

home to a rich cultural heritage.

Goals for Skinner Butte Park


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The above diagram, presented at the second public workshop, describesthe relationship between different elements of the master plan andplanning process

Workshop #1,discussion, idea gathering,

research

Workshop #2,evaluation, discussion,

research, design

Workshop #3,ideas gathered from allpublic involvement andresearch efforts, details

contained inimplementation plan

Around 50 participantsgathered to discuss thepark at the first publicworkshop.


Strategies

The following section describes specificstrategies, or ways of achieving the masterplanning goals for Skinner Butte Park.These strategies begin to chart the way,step by step, towards realizing the overal

1.1.1.1.1. Strategy: Establish an interpretive,Strategy: Establish an interpretive,Strategy: Establish an interpretive,Strategy: Establish an interpretive,Strategy: Establish an interpretive,education and presereducation and presereducation and presereducation and presereducation and preservation programvation programvation programvation programvation programfor cultural historfor cultural historfor cultural historfor cultural historfor cultural history and naturaly and naturaly and naturaly and naturaly and naturalhistorhistorhistorhistorhistory/ecologyy/ecologyy/ecologyy/ecologyy/ecology.....

1.11.11.11.11.1 NATURAL HISTORY: Increase publicawareness and stewardship of naturalresources, natural history andrestoration projects throughinterpretation and education.

1.21.21.21.21.2 SETTLEMENT AND MODERNHISTORY: Expand public awareness oflocal cultural history throughinterpretation and historic preservation.

1.31.31.31.31.3 HISTORIC VIEWS: Preserve, protectand restore historic views.

1.41.41.41.41.4 NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY ANDCULTURE: Incorporate elements inSkinner Butte Park that highlight therole of Native Americans in the region.

1.51.51.51.51.5 INTERPRETIVE CENTER: Develop aninterpretive center

2.2.2.2.2. Strategy: Implement a HabitatStrategy: Implement a HabitatStrategy: Implement a HabitatStrategy: Implement a HabitatStrategy: Implement a HabitatManagement Plan for Skinner ButteManagement Plan for Skinner ButteManagement Plan for Skinner ButteManagement Plan for Skinner ButteManagement Plan for Skinner ButtePPPPPark.ark.ark.ark.ark.

2.12.12.12.12.1 HABITAT INVENTORY: Continueresearch of natural resources within thepark to better inform natural resourceplanning, restoration and management.

2.22.22.22.22.2 NATURAL SYSTEMS: Recognize andallow for the natural dynamics ofdiverse ecosystem types.

vision for the park. The ImplementationPlan (see chapter 5) provides moredetailed criteria and specific, prioritizedactions related to the strategies listed here.

2.32.32.32.32.3 EROSION CONTROL: Control riverbank erosion to allow for seasonalflooding and improve the riparianecosystem.

2.42.42.42.42.4 ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS: Identifyopportunities for increasing ecosystemfunctions for the park as a whole.

2.52.52.52.52.5 INVASIVE SPECIES: Remove andcontrol invasive plant speciesthroughout the park.

2.62.62.62.62.6 HABITAT MANAGEMENT: Managevarious areas of the park for thefollowing habitat types: conifer forest,river/riparian, oak savanna, uplandprairie and wet prairie.

2.72.72.72.72.7 HABITAT RESTORATION: Restorecertain areas of the park to a higherhabitat value.

3.3.3.3.3. Strategy: Create management unitsStrategy: Create management unitsStrategy: Create management unitsStrategy: Create management unitsStrategy: Create management unitsto guide implementation strategies.to guide implementation strategies.to guide implementation strategies.to guide implementation strategies.to guide implementation strategies.

4.4.4.4.4. Strategy: Redevelop and maintainStrategy: Redevelop and maintainStrategy: Redevelop and maintainStrategy: Redevelop and maintainStrategy: Redevelop and maintainkey park and recreational facilitieskey park and recreational facilitieskey park and recreational facilitieskey park and recreational facilitieskey park and recreational facilities

4.14.14.14.14.1 SKINNER BUTTE SUMMIT: Redevelopthe top of the butte in a manner thatconsistent with a high-qualitycommunity focal point that reflects thepark’s historic context.

4.24.24.24.24.2 CORE EVENT AREA: Improve parkfacilities to accommodate and promotea core event area for small and largegroup social activities such asorganized picnics, weddings, festivals,etc.

Skinner Butte Master Plan Strategies


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Master Planstrategies arefleshed out by a listof prioritizedactions in theImplementationPlan(see Chapter 5)

6.16.16.16.16.1 SKINNER BUTTE PROMENADE:Explore the development of a clear andconvenient pedestrian promenade fromdowntown via the summit of SkinnerButte and Lamb Cottage to theWillamette River.

6.26.26.26.26.2 TRAIL SYSTEM: Construct a clear trailsystem for the butte and the rivercorridor.

6.36.36.36.36.3 EMPHASIZE ALTERNATIVETRANSPORTATION: Emphasize andencourage alternative transportationmodes within the park, as well as toand from the park.

6.46.46.46.46.4 PARKING MODIFICATIONS ANDMANAGEMENT: Maximize use ofexisting paved areas while minimizingconstruction of new parking.

6.5.6.5.6.5.6.5.6.5. CHESHIRE AVENUE MODIFICATIONS:Modify existing street to support keypark values.

6.6.6.6.6.6.6.6.6.6. MULTI-MODAL CONNECTIONS:Enhance multi-modal entrance areasand connect them visually todowntown and adjacentneighborhoods.

6.76.76.76.76.7 I-105 UNDERPASS: Redevelop thisarea for pedestrian and bicycle accessbetween the west Whiteakerneighborhood, Owen Rose Garden andSkinner Butte Park.

6.86.86.86.86.8 DISABLED ACCESS: Work towardsADA-compliant access to all key parkfacilities.

6.96.96.96.96.9 EQUESTRIAN ACCESS: Consideraccess by horses as a unique mode oftransportation reflecting and promotingthe park’s unique historic values

7.7.7.7.7. Strategy:Strategy:Strategy:Strategy:Strategy: Implement measures toImplement measures toImplement measures toImplement measures toImplement measures toimprove public safety within Skinnerimprove public safety within Skinnerimprove public safety within Skinnerimprove public safety within Skinnerimprove public safety within SkinnerButte PButte PButte PButte PButte Park.ark.ark.ark.ark.

8.8.8.8.8. Strategy:Strategy:Strategy:Strategy:Strategy: FFFFFacilitate follow-throughacilitate follow-throughacilitate follow-throughacilitate follow-throughacilitate follow-throughand continuity of master plan goals.and continuity of master plan goals.and continuity of master plan goals.and continuity of master plan goals.and continuity of master plan goals.

4.34.34.34.34.3 PLAYGROUND: Fundamentallyredevelop the existing playground as acitywide attraction

4.44.44.44.44.4 WEST END: Redevelop the west end ofthe park for education, interpretationand recreational use in keeping withthe character and unique aspects of thepark.

4.54.54.54.54.5 LAMB COTTAGE: Revitalize LambCottage and surrounding area tosupport group events and provide ananchor for the Skinner ButtePromenade.

4.64.64.64.64.6 OPEN SPACE: Designate adequateopen space within the park

4.74.74.74.74.7 LANDSCAPE AND IRRIGATION:Address the general condition,maintenance and development oflandscape areas throughout the park.

4.84.84.84.84.8 LIGHTING: Provide for adequatelighting in the park.

4.94.94.94.94.9 RESTROOMS: Provide adequatesanitary facilities in the park.

4.104.104.104.104.10 COLUMNS: Improve and maintain thecolumns as a public climbing area.

4.114.114.114.114.11 MEMORIALS: Carefully evaluate theintroduction of new personal or publicmemorials within Skinner Butte Park

4.124.124.124.124.12 INTRUSIONS: Identify and mitigatephysical intrusions impactingrecreation and aesthetic values withinthe park.

5.5.5.5.5. Strategy: Develop and apply designStrategy: Develop and apply designStrategy: Develop and apply designStrategy: Develop and apply designStrategy: Develop and apply designstandards for all built facilities andstandards for all built facilities andstandards for all built facilities andstandards for all built facilities andstandards for all built facilities andinfrastructure that reflects andinfrastructure that reflects andinfrastructure that reflects andinfrastructure that reflects andinfrastructure that reflects andemphasizes the park’s historicemphasizes the park’s historicemphasizes the park’s historicemphasizes the park’s historicemphasizes the park’s historiccontext.context.context.context.context.

6.6.6.6.6. Strategy: Improve and maintainStrategy: Improve and maintainStrategy: Improve and maintainStrategy: Improve and maintainStrategy: Improve and maintainpedestrian, bicycle and vehiclepedestrian, bicycle and vehiclepedestrian, bicycle and vehiclepedestrian, bicycle and vehiclepedestrian, bicycle and vehicletraffic circulation patterns totraffic circulation patterns totraffic circulation patterns totraffic circulation patterns totraffic circulation patterns toemphasize alternative transporemphasize alternative transporemphasize alternative transporemphasize alternative transporemphasize alternative transportation,tation,tation,tation,tation,accessibility and safetyaccessibility and safetyaccessibility and safetyaccessibility and safetyaccessibility and safety.....

Skinner Butte Master Plan Strategies


PrioritiesThe Parks and Open Space bond measureallocated $300,000 for improvements toSkinner Butte Park. Through the long-term,comprehensive scope of the master plan,many more projects have been identifiedthan this funding will cover. Although aportion of the bond measure funding hasbeen allocated to support the masterplanning process, priorities needed to beidentified for the balance of the availablefunding. Several criteria were consideredin setting these priorities.

Community InputThe community was invited to comment ongeneral funding priorities at the draft masterplan displays placed at various locationsaround town for a period of two weeks (seeMaster Plan Methodology, this chapter).Immediately following the public displays,an exercise at the end of the third publicworkshop also encouraged meetingparticipants to identify their top fundingpriorities from a detailed list of projects.

Other FactorsThere may be a logical sequence ofconstruction that influences whether or nota project can be completed. Similarly,many projects need a much higher level offunding than the Parks and Open Spacebond measure provides, and these projectsbecome candidates for future fundingopportunities. Smaller projects that arerelated to or dependent on these projects,therefore, are also contingent on securingfuture funding. Projects that are bettersuited to volunteer efforts have also beenidentified. In some cases, projects that canbe supported with a relatively small capitalinvestment, but generate a relatively largeamount of interest and stewardship in thepark, are seen as opportunities to extendcurrent funding. Opportunities may existto leverage existing funding throughpartnerships with other organizations orprograms, such as the City’sComprehensive Stormwater ManagementProgram. As these opportunities areidentified, certain projects may become ahigher priority to take advantage of theadditional funding available throughpartnerships.

Restoring of river bank habitat, and developingan interpretive hiking trail are top priorities forParks and Open Space bond measure funding

The community wasasked to help setpriorities for how tospend currentfunding


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Top Ten Priorities for SkinnerButte ParkThe Implementation Plan portion of theSkinner Butte Park Master Plan (seeChapter 6, Implementation Plan) containsa complete listing of proposed projectpriorities. The following are the top tenpriorities to be funded by the 1998 Parksand Open Space bond measure (Measure20-03).

1. Initiate and execute an in-depth habitatinventory study for the butte and theriver habitats and connections.

2. Develop and implement a control planto remove targeted invasive plantspecies, and develop a general actionplan for removal of all invasive species

3. Redevelop the trail system on SkinnerButte

4. Create a River-Bottom Interpretive Trail

5. Convert certain mixed successionalshrub and forest areas on the south,east and west slopes of the butte tonative upland prairie

6. Convert certain areas of lawn to nativewet prairie, where possible, to serve aspotential water quality enhancement orinfiltration areas

7. Provide irrigation to the historiccommunity farm site

8. Develop viewshed managementparameters and restore viewshed

9. Design and install interpretive signagefor cultural history, including the storyof the Kalapuya

10. Design and install interpretive signagefor natural history

Another high priority for Parks andOpen Space bond measure fundingis the restoration of native uplandprairie and preservation of significantviews from Skinner Butte.

Large projects like the Skinner ButtePromenade, although a high priorityand very important for the function ofthe park and downtown Eugene, willneed additional funding sources.

Chapter 2: Natural History and Cutlural Context


IntroductionTo better understand the role of SkinnerButte Park in both past and present humanculture, it is helpful to get a sense of theformative processes that created thelandscape we see today. A shortbibilography is included at the end of theMaster Plan for further reading.

GeographyEugene lies at the southern terminus of theWillamette Valley, where the Coast Rangeand the Cascade Range merge in a seriesof forested foothills. These hills surroundthe Eugene area to the south, east andwest, and include landmarks such asSpencer Butte, College Hill, and theridgeline. Much of the land in and aroundEugene is generally characterized by flat,alluvial plains punctuated by volcanic hillsrising no more than a few hundred feetabove the valley floor.

Skinner Butte is one such volcanic hill,which lies in an approximate north-southline formed by two other basalt-core hills:Spencer Butte to the south and GillespieButte to the north. The summit of SkinnerButte lies approximately 682 feet above sealevel (see Map 3: Topography). The summitis elongated, running in a roughly east-westdirection, and includes a small, perhapsartificially enhanced, bench to the east ofthe summit and about fifty feet lower.Skinner Butte and some other nearby hillswere formed when magma pushed upwardthrough the earth’s crust and cooled veryslowly, creating the regular, polygonal stone

formations commonly known as “columnarbasalt”. The columnar basalt at the coreof Skinner Butte was quarried towards theend of the 19th century and used throughoutthe region for everything from buildingfoundations to grave markers. The oldquarry is now a popular public rockclimbing area.

Aside from Skinner Butte, the WillametteRiver is certainly the most dominantgeographic feature in the park. One of thelargest rivers in the Pacific Northwest, theWillamette flows through Eugene in aroughly west by northwesterly direction.The geomorphology of the river ischaracterized in the Willamette Valley bydramatic floods, which have historically ledto continual shifting and change in the riverchannel and banks. It was common forthe river to shift its course dramatically,carving new channels and abandoning oldones.

ChaptChaptChaptChaptChapter 2:er 2:er 2:er 2:er 2: NaNaNaNaNatttttural Histural Histural Histural Histural Historororororyyyyyand Culand Culand Culand Culand Cultttttural Contural Contural Contural Contural Contextextextextext

Workers in the Skinner Butte quarry c. 1908

20 Chapter 2: Natural History and Cultural Context

Skinner Butte andthe Willamette Riverare the dominantgeographic featuresof the park

Skinner Butte Park lies along the southernbank of the Willamette River. Several riverterraces are evidence of flooding activityof varying frequency. The lower and midterraces flood on a more frequent cyclethan the upper terrace or “main terrace”,where the majority of park improvementssuch as the playground, restrooms,Campbell Senior Center, etc. are nowlocated. Contemporary development andhuman activity has dramatically changedthe character and hydrology of theWillamette River (see Chapter 4).

Soils in Skinner Butte Park range fromdeep, well-drained alluvium (Chapman andMalabon-Urban land complex) to relativelythin and rocky soils derived from thebasaltic core of Skinner Butte. Many soilsin the park have been changed anddisturbed by human activities.

Flora and FaunaThe plants and animals living in and aroundSkinner Butte Park have changeddramatically over the past 150 years or so.Some have disappeared, and others arethriving. It is part of the legacy of Euro-American settlement and urbandevelopment that will be an importantinterpretive theme for the park. It is a themedominated by change, and how continuallyshifting cultural attitudes affect thelandscape. The following description helpsto provide a basic frame for the scope ofthat change, from its probable conditionprior to Euro-American settlement to amodern, urban park.

When the Grizzly Bear RoamedBecause of the diversity of habitats foundthere, Skinner Butte Park was home to arich variety of plants and animals. Althougha future habitat management study willdevelop a much more complete list ofplants and animals found there today (seeChapter 6, Implementation Plan), it ishelpful to get an overview of what one mighthave seen before the time of Euro-American settlement.

The landscape around Skinner Butte Parkwas once very different. According tofederal surveys carried out in the 1850s,much of the Willamette Valley landscapewas a vast and open grassland, extendingsouth into the foothills and sweepingnorthward to the banks of the ColumbiaRiver (see Figure 1). The springtimebrought a tide of purple to the prairie asthe native camas bloomed, giving way tothe golden yellow of tarweed, or nativesunflower, in the later summer. Oregonwhite oak punctuated the grassland, wheresingle trees or small groves had grownlarge enough to resist the effects of regularfires set by the Kalapuya natives (see “TheKalapuya,” this chapter). Ash grovesspread out over low-lying, seasonallyflooded areas, and the continually shiftingchannels of the Willamette River and itstributaries were marked by a broad bandof towering cottonwood, alder, bigleafmaple, willow and others in diverse stagesof succession.

Skinner Butte rose above the WillametteRiver where the sweeping prairie spilledover the high south bank. Several tough,drought-resistant oaks grew here and thereon the thin soil on its ridges and summit,with perhaps a handful of Douglas fir onthe north side of the butte. Patches of wild

Evidence of beavers can stillbe found in Skinner ButtePark, like this beaver-gnawedtree


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rose, poison oak and other drought-tolerantshrubs grew among the grasses andwildflowers of the butte and its gentlysloping flanks.

Along the Willamette, mammothcottonwoods, alder and bigleaf mapleshaded the river terraces where snowberry,dogwood and herbaceous perennialsflowered in the wet spring months. Theupper banks of the river, high enough to beflooded only very rarely, may have alsobeen dotted with a few Oregon white oak,mixed with the occasional bigleaf mapleand Douglas fir. The low banks were aseries of wandering gravel bars, islands,channels and sloughs, sprouting withwillows, alder and cottonwood in all stagesof succession. In some places, the riverand its network of gravelly braids may haveregularly wandered over an area up to amile wide.

The area that today is Skinner Butte Parkwas likely part of a rich landscape withabundant wildlife. Before settlers arrived,black bear and grizzly bear roamed themountain slopes and prairies, foraging onberries and occasionally taking the youngor weak of the abundant blacktail deer.Coyote and fox hunted the forest edges andbrush patches for cottontail rabbits, fieldmice and other small mammals. The skieswere patrolled by great raptors like thegolden eagle, red-tailed hawk and manyothers. Elk herds migrated back and forthbetween the mountains and the lowlandmeadows, following the greenest pasturesof the season.

Never far away, the mighty Willametteflowed past them all. Beavers dammed itstributaries or built their dens on the shiftingbackwaters of the main river, sharing thewaters and river edge with other mammalssuch as otter, muskrat, mink, and raccoon.Osprey and bald eagles rode the warmupdrafts from Skinner Butte, soaring overthe river waters in search of native cutthroattrout, pike-minnow or pea-mouth.Seasonal migrations of salmon andsteelhead filed past the butte on their wayto the ocean, or returning to the gravel bedsof their conception.

When the Burning StoppedAlthough fur trappers visited the areadecades earlier, the era of Euro-Americansettlers was heralded by the arrival ofEugene and Mary Skinner in 1846 (see“Euro-American Settlement,” this chapter).This closed the book on thousands of yearsof gradual evolution of ecologicalinterrelationships, and opened a newchapter of unprecedented change for theplant and animal species of the area.

Most dramatically, even before theSkinner’s arrival, the fires of the Kalapuyahad mostly stopped (see “The Kalapuya,”this chapter), and the landscape had begunto change. As settlers claimed the land inthe upper Willamette valley, the remainingsurvivors of the Kalapuya people were“resettled” to reservations, and the firesthey used as a tool to manage the landstopped altogether. Although the irregularcycle of burning used by the Kalapuya isarguably not a natural phenomenon, it hadnevertheless, over several thousand years,brought about a unique and diverseecosystem dependent upon that cycle.When the burning stopped, the days werenumbered for the broad grasslands andscattered oaks of the Willamette Valley.

Since natural, lightning-strike fires are rarein the landscape of the Willamette Valleyand western Oregon, there are few naturalforces, other than flooding and erosion, thatmaintain an open landscape. Withoutburning, other taller and faster growingtrees such as Douglas fir and bigleaf maplequickly grow up and shade out the more

Figure 1: HistoricVegetation PatternsThis diagram, derived fromfederal land surveys c. 1850,shows vegetation typesaround Skinner Butte Park

Regular fires createdthe open prairielandscape thatdominated the areaprior to 1850


fire and drought-resistant oak trees. Withinjust a few generations, savanna-prairie istransformed into a temperate, mixed coniferand hardwood forest. Plant communities,and the creatures that depend upon them,disappear and give way to a new set ofinterrelationships that are adapted to thechanging conditions.

This process had already begun by the timethe Skinners arrived. In the first half of the19th century, the culture of the Kalapuya wasalready a shadow of what it once was. Thefires had decreased in frequency. Theplanning and execution of firemanagement, once highly organized andsub-divided among the various tribalbands, had become increasingly erratic.Nevertheless, reports of early settlersdescribe the area as open meadows andfields that reminded them of cultivatedwheat.

The pattern of open prairie was probablymaintained to some extent throughout thesettlement period by several factors,including removal of existing tree standsfor fuel and construction, agriculture andgrazing. The slopes of Skinner Butte werereportedly grazed by cattle and sheep inthe latter half of the 19th century. Thispresumably kept the character of the south,east and west slopes similar to the time ofthe Skinners’ arrival. The north side of thebutte, however, being more conducive tothe germination of Douglas fir seedlings(more shade, moisture and deeper soils),had long since begun to develop into anearly successional fir forest.

Also during this period, the wildlife of thearea was impacted by the habits andsurvival needs of Euro-American settlers.Grizzly bears and wolves, among the mostfeared and aggressively pursued of thelarge predators, disappeared from theWillamette Valley and continually retreatedto more remote areas. A strong fur tradesaw a significant reduction in numbers ofsmall mammals such as coyote, fox,beaver and muskrat. Large birds of preyalso began to decline as more settlersarrived. The habits and patterns of manyother species of animals were changed

irrevocably through new patterns of landuse, including grazing, agriculture, streets,and eventually industry and urbandevelopment.

The Other ImmigrantsEuro-American settlers found that many oftheir favorite plants brought from other partsof the world, including food crops andornamental plants, thrived in the fertile soiland favorable climate of the WillametteValley, with mild winters, high rainfall andcool summers. Collectors and enthusiastsbrought with them hundreds of new plantspecies for their gardens. Many otherspecies were introduced accidentally, asplants drifted in literally on the heels of thenewly arrived. Some of these plantsnaturalized (began to reproduce on theirown in the wild), and in the blink of anevolutionary eye, the landscape began tolook very different.

The most successful of these new species,those that were able to reproduce soquickly and vigorously that they began totake over large areas and crowd out thenative plants, are known as “invasive”species. Many invasive species dominateSkinner Butte Park today, includingHimalayan blackberry, Scotch broom,English ivy, Norway maple, English

The landscapechangeddramatically with thearrival of invasiveplant species

Invasive speciessuch as thisEnglish laurel aredestroying habitatsin Skinner ButtePark


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hawthorn, and many others (see Chapter6, Habitat Management Plan). Coupledwith the removal of fire as a managementtool, these invasive species havedramatically reduced habitat diversity in thepark, creating monocultures (where onekind of plant dominates) that smother thediverse communities of native plants thatwould otherwise be growing there.

Cultural PreferencesCultural habits and attitudes also played astrong role in the changing landscape,particularly on Skinner Butte. Towards theend of the settlement era, closing out the19th century and entering into the 20th

century, the practices of grazing on thebutte eventually gave way to industry,municipal utilities and urban developmentas the Eugene grew up around the park(see “Euro-American Settlement,” thischapter). The cultural aesthetic of the timefavored ornamental trees, and peoplebegan to feel that the butte would lookbetter decorated with a few trees. Forexample, a grove of incense cedar wasplanted around the home of Dr. Shelton inthe 1880s. This grove has since spread tocover a large portion of the lower andmiddle south slope of the butte. Severalmunicipal tree planting efforts also tookplace, including a 1934 Veteran’s Day treeplanting ceremony.

These planting efforts merely acceleratedwhat natural succession would have doneanyway: transformed the butte from part ofa vast savanna-prairie to an island ofemerging forest. After the fires and grazingstopped, the invasive species arrived, andtree planting began, many areas of SkinnerButte are now dense, wooded and brushy.Only a few, rapidly disappearing remnantsof savanna-prairie on the east and westslopes (see Map 4: Existing Vegetation).

Endangered HabitatAs we see it today, Skinner Butte Park isunrecognizable from its condition prior toEuro-American settlement. The forested hillsurrounded by a sea of buildings andhomes bears little resemblance to thegently sloping, grassy knoll that stoodrelatively unchanged for thousands of years.

The Oregon white oak savanna-prairie, aonce vast and abundant habitat typeindigenous to the Willamette Valley, is nownearly extinct. Less than one percentremains. Some of the animal species thatdepend upon savanna-prairie are alsogone, or nearly gone, from the valley, andare not likely to return given the fragmentedstate of the remaining habitat. However,although it has been radically altered overthe past 150 or so years, the park remainsa showcase for plant communities andsuccessional trends that are common tothe Willamette Valley. It is a similar storythat is happening everywhere, in theWillamette Valley and around the world.The presence of this resource in the centerof Eugene is particularly unique andvaluable as a tool for teaching the story oflocal plant and animal communities, howthey fit in with human culture, and how theyare both changing.

BirdsIt is worth pointing out that the butte, asboth bird habitat and a recreationalresource for birding, is still extremelyvaluable despite enormous developmentand change. Skinner Butte and its uniquegeography are exceptionally attractive tomigratory birds. Despite changes invegetation, or perhaps in some casesbecause of them, Skinner Butte hasbecome a regional magnet for birds andbirders alike. It is located in the flight pathof many species of migratory birds travelingthrough the Willamette Valley corridor. Theshape and size of the butte, and its isolated

Cultural attitudesabout plants andlandscape aestheticsare constantlychanging

Skinner Butte is anexcellent place toview a diversity ofbird species,including migratorybirds and largeresident birds suchas the great hornedowl (Bubovirginianus)


location near the south end of the valley,seems to attract birds traveling northwardin the spring to stop, rest and forage beforecontinuing their journey. Many of the larger,deciduous trees on the south, southwestand west summit area, and along the entirenorthern crest of the summit, are especiallyfavored by migrating birds and the birdersseeking them out (see Chapter 5, HabitatManagement Plan for further discussionand recommendations). The park is alsohome to many uncommon and interestingresident bird species such as osprey andgreat horned owl.

The KalapuyaThe story of the Kalapuya, the nativeinhabitants of the southern WillametteValley, is both sad and compelling, and hasbeen widely misunderstood for most ofcontemporary history. It is a story that hasbeen pieced together over decadesthrough scattered bits of information andmemory. As anthropologists broaden theirunderstanding, the official story that isunfolding begins to sound more like thestory told by the modern descendants ofthe Kalapuya themselves: of a great culturein a land of abundance.

A Vanished CivilizationIt is estimated that there were somewherebetween 15,000 and 20,000 Kalapuya livingin and around the Willamette Valley in theyear 1770 (Boyd 1990). By the time Eugeneand Mary Skinner arrived in 1846, less than70 years later, there were estimated to befewer than 600 Kalapuya remaining. Thisrepresents over 95% mortality of a oncethriving culture in a very short time(Connolly 1999). These numbers do notbegin to describe the devastatingepidemics of disease, including small pox,malaria and measles, that swept throughthe northwest, and lingered tenaciously inthe Willamette Valley, between 1770 and1840. Testimonials and a few scatteredrecords from trapping expeditions andmissionaries in the early 1800s describe theloss of entire villages in one season. Theyrecount incredible suffering, and the flightof survivors from village sites to escape theinfection.

The result of this devastation, wrought soquickly and so thoroughly, was “a completebreakdown in social structures,communities, and traditional modes ofbehavior, and the imposition of ademoralizing hopelessness on thesurvivors” (Connolly 1999). Through thedesertion of settlements and the re-grouping of survivors in other places, therewas little left of the once great network ofKalapuya tribes and clans that shared thevalley. Not only were there very few left whocould remember or recount the life of theKalapuya before 1770, but during thisperiod of catastrophic decline, there is nowritten record of the Kalapuya people.Later historical accounts from early settlersoften describe the native inhabitants of thevalley as sickly and wretched. TheWillamette Valley had also been perenniallydubbed “The Valley of Sickness.” But thiswas not the way things had been over theprevious millennia. This does not describethe real Kalapuya culture. What the firstEuro-American settlers saw, therefore, wasonly the aftermath.

Disease had claimedabout 95% of theKalapuya people bythe time Euro-American settlersarrived in the area

This 1841 sketch by A. T. Agateof the Us Exploring Expeditionshows the artist’s interpretationof a Kalapuya man.


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In the 1850s, the Bureau of Indian Affairs“resettled” the remaining Kalapuya to theGrand Ronde Reservation, along with otherwestern Oregon tribal groups, near thepresent-day town of Willamina. Theirancestral lands were officially placed in thepublic domain for settlement through theDonation Land Claims program. They werenot compensated. Despite resistance togovernment treaties and resettlement inother areas, as exemplified by the RogueIndian War in southern Oregon, theKalapuya did not resist. Evidence suggeststhat their culture was, by this time, tooscattered, and the Willamette Valley alreadytoo densely populated by Euro-Americansettlers.

It was not until after this period of relocationto reservations that early ethnographers, forthe first time, began transcribing oralhistories from the Kalapuya themselves.Most of the information that exists from theKalapuya comes from interviews during thisperiod, and from the inherited oral traditionthat the Kalapuya descendants carry withthem.

It is little wonder, then, that even the mostopen-minded and searching ofethnographers have been challenged topiece together this mystery: what were theKalapuya really like? To answer thatquestion, the bits and pieces of informationthat do exist need to be carefully examinedand continually reinterpreted.

Modern research methods allow anincreasingly accurate glimpse into theclimate and plant communities overthousands of years, shedding light on theconditions under which the inhabitants ofthe Willamette Valley lived. Archaeologicaltechniques are also improving, andtraditional biases and filters for theirinterpretation are slowly falling away to bereplaced by new, more accurate analyses.Most importantly, the history of theKalapuya, as it is told by the Kalapuyathemselves, is more becoming more readilyaccepted than it once was. Through all ofthese methods, a picture of a lost cultureis beginning to form.

The Golden AgeRadiocarbon dating has indicated that theWillamette Valley’s first human inhabitantsprobably arrived some 12,000 years ago.For several thousand years, small familybands roamed about a sparsely populatedlandscape, hunting and collecting wildfoods where they were most readilyavailable, and moving on to other areaswhen the food was depleted.

As the population of the valley eventuallyincreased, the archaeological recordshows that the pattern shifted to a morestabilized lifestyle. About 5,000 to 6,000years ago, evidence suggests theconstruction of more permanentsettlements, including the “construction ofsubstantial houses, and the intensiveharvest of certain abundant foods (such assalmon)” (Connolly 1999), as well as thestorage of food. Since the salmonpopulation in the upper Willamette Riverwas never great enough to serve as a mainfood staple, the inhabitants of theWillamette River began to intensivelyharvest and process camas, a highlynutritious bulb growing abundantly in moistprairie areas of the valley floor. Severalother species of plant growing on theprairies, such as varieties of nativesunflower (or tarweed), were also harvestedat least as intensively as camas as a foodstaple.

Around 3,500 to 4,000 years ago, theinhabitants of the Willamette Valleyprobably began to take on a more settledlife similar to what it must have been likejust prior to the introduction of disease in1770. This probably represents theKalapuya as they were described bydescendants on the Grande Ronde IndianReservation and recorded in the 1850s byearly ethnographers.

The Kalapuya had begun to settle into abroad assemblage of ethnically relatedcommunities or bands, each with its owncluster of separate villages, and eachtypically speaking a separate dialect of theKalapuya language. Each band sharedcertain resources, such as big game, withina well-defined territory. The boundaries for

The Kalapuya culturehas long beenmysterious andmisunderstood

Prior to theepidemics, theKalapuya culture waslarge, complex andbecoming anagricultural society

The camas lily was animportant staple food for theKalapuya


these territories were, by all accounts,highly restricted with respect to theresource, but open for legitimate purposessuch as trade. Other resources, such asfields of camas and tarweed, werecontrolled by specific villages, and plotswithin these fields belonged to specificindividuals within the village.

One of the hallmarks of this final chapter ofthe Kalapuya culture, as with other culturesin Pacific coast valleys, was the use of fireto manage the landscape. Managed firewas an important discovery that held manybenefits for the Kalapuya. First andforemost, it maintained the open prairielandscape favored by camas and nativesunflower, their primary food sources.Burning eliminated the competition of trees,shrubs and other grasses that wouldeventually replace the natural meadows offood crops, and improved growingconditions for a host of other secondaryfood plants, such as Oregon white oak,hazelnut and huckleberry. Fire also createdan open, park-like landscape that greatlyenhanced mobility and the pursuit of gamesuch as deer and elk, while at the sametime concentrating them in the unburnedstands of forest where they were easier tolocate.

It has been said that the modern Kalapuyahad become horticulturalists more so thanhunter-gatherers. Probably they were both.But the evidence is clear that theyintensively managed the landscape toproduce what is understood to be a reliablesource of food that supported, and wassupported by, a highly organized andsuccessful society. To some descriptions,the Kalapuya lifestyle would have been oneof abundance, in a valley tailored by theirown ingenuity to suit their needs.

In the warm months, the Kalapuya typicallymoved about the valley floor, setting upopen camps in different areas as foodsources became most abundant. Thisseason was marked by the harvest andpreparation of their staple foods such ascamas, sunflower, acorns, tubers, fruits andberries, as well as with hunting and fishing.When the weather was favorable for travel,goods were traded with other bands of

Kalapuya, as well as with other tribal groupsfrom the coast to the Columbia. Many ofthese footpaths became the basis for manypack trails and wagon trails used by settlers,and eventually for roads that are still in usetoday.

Wintertime brought the Kalapuya togetherin permanent settlements, characterized bygroups of “pit houses”, or semi-subterranean, earth-walled buildings withbark roofs and central fire places. Severalfamilies often shared the larger houses.During the short, cold days and long nights,family groups and villages gathered for atime of storytelling. These stories were notonly a form of entertainment, they were themost important vessel for passingknowledge, beliefs and morals of theKalapuya culture from one generation to thenext.

This rich oral tradition is anchored in thelandscape of the Willamette Valley. SomeKalapuya stories, passed from onegeneration to the next in a very prescribedand precise manner, are still told today, andrepresent the truth for the contemporaryKalapuya descendants. Local featuressuch as the Willamette River and SkinnerButte play central roles in their oral heritage.

The Kalapuya and Skinner ButteParkAlthough evidence is particularly sparse forthe traditions of the Kalapuya bands livingin the southern Willamette Valley, SkinnerButte was reportedly used for certainceremonial purposes. Historical referencesindicate the presence of a “stone ring” nearthe summit of the butte that was destroyedby the construction of the second reservoirin 1906 (see “A Brief History of Skinner ButtePark”). The purpose and timing of theseceremonies is unknown.

What is more certain, however, is that theKalapuya used the butte for the samereason many people use it today: as alookout. From the summit of Skinner Butte,one could survey the local landscape, fromviews of the Three Sisters to the coastrange, and from Spencer Butte to Mt. Hoodon a clear day. Keeping in mind that the

The Kalapuya have arich oral traditionanchored in theWillamette Valleylandscape, includingSkinner Butte.


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atmosphere in the valley some 200 yearsago was, by and large, much more clearthan it is today, we can only surmise thatthis must have been a spectacular vista.From the butte, situated between the riverand the Amazon flood plain, earlyinhabitants were probably also able to trackthe movements of wildlife through the locallandscape, or the movements of otherpeople.

The cultural use of Skinner Butte, therefore,is literally thousands of years old. Althoughdramatically altered, the views of thesurrounding landscape enjoyed by parkvisitors today are pre-historic in theirsignificance, and offer a perspective fromwhich to view the changing landscape.

Looking ForwardThe legacy of the Kalapuya is complex. Itis a colossal tragedy, and it is a source ofinspiration. It helps us understand the landwe live in much more deeply, and it helpsus see more clearly where we are going.The fate of the Kalapuya, as with countlessother Native American cultures in NorthAmerica and elsewhere, is inextricablyconnected to the culture that consumedthem. In the case of some Willamette Valleysettlers, the Kalapuya were their friends,and often their lifeline. Relations during thiscontact period were predominantlypeaceful. Indeed, there are friendshipsbetween settler families and Kalapuyafamilies that are still strong today, wherethe descendants of both still live near oneanother on the lands of their ancestors.

Both the Kalapuya and Euro-Americansettlers had one goal in common: to survive,and to persevere. And, indeed, both havedone so.

As a metropolitan park at the center of ourcommunity, it is fitting that Skinner ButtePark play a role in beginning to interpretand share that legacy. A wish has beenexpressed by members of the communitythat this legacy be one of clearunderstanding about what happened to theKalapuya people, but more importantly oneof mutual survival, understanding, andlooking towards the future.

Euro-AmericanSettlement

The First ExplorersThe very earliest of Euro-Americanexplorers arrived along the PacificNorthwest coast in the mid and late 1500sin search of the mythic northwest passage.The area remained largely uncharted,however, until Captain Cook landed atpresent-day British Columbia, where hedeveloped a rich fur trade with the nativeinhabitants. This discovery brought manymore traders and explorers from severalEuropean countries, and between the late1700s and the early 1800s, at least 443expeditions had landed on PacificNorthwest shores.

Other explorers searched for the northwestpassage overland. The first was AlexanderMcKenzie in 1793, followed by the Lewisand Clark expedition of 1804. Lewis andClark knew about the Willamette Valley, butnever ventured into its vast prairies duringtheir voyage down the Columbia.

Fur trappers from trading outposts atpresent-day Astoria were probably the firstexplorers to wander into the WillametteValley. Around 1812, several largerexpeditions traveled as far as the East-ForkWillamette River (now the McKenzie River),and brought news of broad plains, openwoodlands and fertile soil that quicklyspread to would-be pioneers from the

Skinner Butte Parkcan play a role insharing the story ofthe Kalapuya withthe community

This rare photographreportedly depicts a mat-covered Kalapuya summerhouse


eastern United States. By the 1840’s, theOregon Territory had begun to open up toimmigrants following the Oregon Trail andseeking to settle the fertile lands.

In 1846, Eugene Skinner arrived fromCalifornia with a small group of immigrantsthat became the first to establish apermanent settlement in the upperWillamette Valley. Skinner staked a 640-acre Donation Land Claim in the areaaround Skinner Butte Park, and built his firstcabin in the fall of 1846 on the westernslope of Skinner Butte. A markercommemorates the location of the cabinnear First Avenue and Lincoln Street. Theactual location of the original cabin,however, is still subject to debate andinvestigation.

For the settlers, the first winters wereextremely difficult. Arriving in the fall, theywere forced to live off provisions until cropscould be planted and harvested at the endof the next season. Letters and reports tellof hardship and hunger, and mutualdependence to make it through the coldand wet winter. Other references are madeto the friendliness and support of theKalapuya living in the area.

The Applegate TrailAlso in 1846, two brothers, Jesse andLindsay Applegate, began their quest toestablish a safe overland wagon route tothe Willamette Valley. At the time, theOregon trail included a treacherous waterroute along the Columbia River for thoseseeking to reach the Willammette Valley,and many lives were lost along thistreacherous section of the trail. TheApplegate brothers had themselves eachlost a child in a rafting accident and vowedto spare other families this same grief.

The new southern route of the Oregon Trailbecame known as the Applegate Trail.Branching off the Oregon Trail at Fort Hall,Idaho, the trail dipped south into thedeserts of Nevada, and crossed throughthe Rogue Valley before approximatelyfollowing the present-day route of I-5 intothe Willamette Valley. Almost immediately,thousands of settlers began their journey

on the new trail. Historical referencesindicated that the Applegate Trail passedjust to the north of Skinner Butte, along whatis now Cheshire Avenue. Today, theApplegate Trail Committee is an active andimportant advocate of history and historicinterpretation in Skinner Butte Park.

A Town is BornMary Skinner and daughter, Mary Elizabeth,joined Eugene in 1847. By the summer of1847, many more settlers began arrivingon the Applegate Trail. As other earlysettlers staked claims in and around theregion, Skinner opened up a trading postout of his cabin, and eventually beganoperating a ferry near the present-daylocation of the Ferry Street Bridge.Skinner’s Post Office was authorized in1850, and the settlement was officiallydesignated with the same name.

The following year, Eugene Skinner andJudge Risdon set up meridians to plan anew town. Reports indicate that they stoodon the summit of Skinner Butte, markingthe line from Skinner Butte to the summitof Spencer Butte as the north-south axis ofthe town, and the line from the westernsummit of Skinner Butte due west as the

The entire structureof the city is basedon geometry withSkinner Butte at itscenter

Eugene Skinner, the firstsettler in the area, staked hisclaim around what is nowSkinner Butte Park


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east-west axis. Today, these meridians aremarked respectively by Willamette Streetand First Avenue. Mary Skinner dubbed thenew town “Eugene City”.

Throughout the latter half of the 19th century,the increasing population in and aroundEugene was predominantly concerned withagriculture, and for a brief time, limitedgrazing and cattle ranching. Beyond earlysubsistence farming for such crops asvegetables and oats, some of the firstcommercial crops included wheat andhops. Eventually, the development of themillrace laid the foundation for industry inEugene City, including grist mills andeventually woolen mills. Other industriesnot dependent upon the millrace includeda whiskey distillery, furniture manufacturing,quarries and brick yards.

A Brief History ofSkinner Butte Park

The Functional ButteAround 1880, most of Skinner Butte andthe surrounding property was purchasedby Dr. T.W. Shelton, who was subsequentlygranted the first water franchise by the Cityof Eugene. Shelton and his associates’new company, known as the Eugene WaterCompany (EWC), built a 300,000 gallon

concrete and masonry reservoir on theeastern summit of Skinner Butte in 1886.Reports indicate that a great deal ofinfrastructure, such as pipes and a roughaccess road to the summit, wereconstructed as part of this undertaking.

Shortly thereafter, between 1887 and 1888,Shelton commissioned the construction ofhis new mansion at the southern foot ofSkinner Butte. His home is known todayas the Shelton-McMurphey-JohnsonHouse, and remains one of the mostnoteworthy historic homes in the area. Inthat same year, Shelton sold a half-acre ofland to the University of Oregon for theconstruction of an observatory. In a veryshort period of time, therefore, SkinnerButte was transformed from a pastoral hillto the site of significant municipal,institutional and private construction.

Other enterprises contributed to this trend.In the early 1890s, the columnar basaltoutcropping near the southwestern toe ofthe butte became a popular quarry site.Stone from this site was used frequently inearly construction around Eugene - suchas foundations and steps - until the quarrywas abandoned sometime around the early1930s.

As other homes were built around theeastern foot of the butte, for example theAnkeny House in 1896, the University ofOregon observatory was already beginningto outlive its purpose. The university soondiscovered the drawbacks to anobservatory located in the valley floor ofwestern Oregon. Visibility proved to be verypoor for most of the year due to cloudcover, fog, or smoke and haze settling inthe valley. By 1897, the observatory wasabandoned. The building was itself aninteresting piece of architecture from acontemporary perspective, but as it fell intodisrepair over the ensuing years, it wasfinally blasted from the hilltop with dynamitearound 1905. A police communicationstower stands today in the same location.

Around 1905, the Willamette ValleyCompany purchased the reservoir from Dr.Shelton and Associates. There was asubsequent push for public control of the

Skinner Butte Parkstarted off as aninvestment in publicinfrastructure

This picture shows the flood ofFebruary 4, 1890, from the eastsummit of Skinner Butte. Notethe Ferry Street Bridge and the1886 reservoir in the foreground.


municipal water system that inevitablyfailed. Another larger, one million gallonreservoir was constructed on the butte thefollowing year on the western summit of thebutte. This reservoir, a monolith of concreterequiring train loads of materials toconstruct walls eight feet thick at the base,would endure well into the latter half of thecentury.

The Transition to PublicOwnershipIt took an epidemic to tip the scales ofpublic opinion. In 1906, contaminatedwater in the municipal water system causedan outbreak of typhoid fever in Eugene.The State Board of Health reportedlydescribed it as “ the worst typhoid epidemicin the history of Oregon.” The people ralliedaround a bid for public ownership of thewater system, and in 1908, Eugene voterspassed a bond to buy out the Willamette

Valley Company, creating in its place theEugene Water Board (EWB). EWB,precursor of today’s Eugene Water andElectric Board (EWEB), promised betterservice and a cleaner system.

Along with the purchase of the municipalwater system infrastructure, including bothreservoirs, EWB also became the newowner of the surrounding land. SkinnerButte was now public property. EWB,however, had no use for the entire property,and in 1914 recommended the dedicationof about 67 acres as a public park. Thevoters embraced the proposal andapproved a $93,000 bond levy to take overthe “non-operating” land. To dedicate thepark, the city celebrated in a grand festivalof fireworks and dancing. Thus, SkinnerButte Park was created.

The HeydayIn the following years, Skinner Butte Parkexperienced tremendous attention andpopularity. This was a period ofimprovement and expansion, when thepark enjoyed a particular distinction as thehub of local recreation and culturalactivities, from car camping to festivals tothe local swimming hole.

Several generations after the fires of theKalapuya stopped, brush and poison oakhad begun to grow densely across theflanks of the butte. This did not appeal tothe aesthetics of the time, and crews weremustered by the newly formed Park Board

Skinner Butte Parkwas dedicated onJuly 6, 1914

The car camp, shown hereacross Cheshire Avenue(formerly a section of theApplegate Trail), enjoyedgreat popularity in 1920’s.Note the comfort station nowknown as Lamb Cottage inthe background.

This early print shows an artist’s conception ofEugene growing up around Skinner Butte Park


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to clear brush and begin planting trees inbeautification efforts. Reports indicate thathoses were run from the reservoirs to nursethe new trees through the dry months onthe thin soils of the butte, and that blastingwas done to make room for the trees in theshallow, basalt bedrock.

These beautification efforts, however, werenot the only activity on the butte during thistime. Even before the park’s dedication,the University of Oregon erected a large,wooden “O” just below the current overlookarea. This was one of the first suchcollegiate letters to be erected in thecountry, and has since been a target for anongoing feud with the rival Oregon StateUniversity. Following suit, Eugene HighSchool built a large “E” several hundred feetto the west in 1915.

The largest alteration, however, occurredwhen EWB commissioned the constructionof a new, three million gallon reservoir in1926. This new reservoir replaced theoriginal masonry reservoir on the easternsummit of the butte, and eventuallyrendered obsolete the one million gallonreservoir that was left standing on thewestern summit. Even today the 1926reservoir is still part of the City of Eugene’smunicipal water system.

After the passage of a $10,000 bondmeasure for park improvements in 1920,and with the help of various local servicegroups contributing labor and materials,park facilities were greatly expanded. Theautomobile had arrived in American culture,and brought more and more visitors to thepark. The road to the top of the butte wasimproved, and a summit overlookdeveloped. Many drove up the butte for aview of Eugene and the surroundinglandscape, and many more joined in therecently popularized pastime of carcamping in the meadow north of SkinnerButte, which was officially acquired by theCity in 1928. Lamb Cottage wasconstructed as an open-air comfort stationto serve the campers, and a small generalstore opened for business along CheshireStreet. Hot summer days drew crowds oflocals to the banks of the Willamette at whathad become the favorite swimming hole.The swimming area included a bath house,docks and water wheels, while life guardskept watch. Residents also used the newpicnic and playground facilities, or playedbaseball on the old diamond near the river.The park even offered a small zoo exhibitwith a variety of local animals such asbears, raccoons, skunks and birds, as wellas exotic animals like monkeys.

One ambitions outgrowth of this attentionoccurred in 1928, during the height ofSkinner Butte Park’s heyday, through thecommissioning of a master plan by alandscape architect from Portland. Theplan showed a grand staircase andpromenade from the end of WillametteStreet, across the railroad tracks andstraight up the south side of Skinner Butteto the summit, where a pergola and rowsof trees framed a graceful automobile plazacrowned by a lighthouse tower. Thepromenade continued down the north sideof the butte through terraced gardens andended in an ornate pavilion and poolextending to the banks of the WillametteRiver. Less than one year later, the stockmarket crash of 1929 and the beginning ofthe depression erased whatever hopesmay have existed for realizing this elaboratevision. Earlier park developments that the1928 plan sought to emphasize, including

Skinner Butte Parkreceived muchattention andconstruction duringthe 1920s, and was afocal point for thecommunity

Hiking trails, such as this onephotographed around 1915,

have always been popular onSkinner Butte


a modest path leading from the train stationto the summit, and a few trails through theforest on the north side of the butte, are allthat would be realized.

The DepressionAs the economy collapsed, interest inimproving the park flagged until the CivilianConservation Corps (CCC) established aregional base in Skinner Butte Park in 1933.Dubbed “Camp Skinner,” this extensivefacility was located in the former carcamping and picnic area, and served as ahub for the regional efforts of the CCC aswell as office headquarters for the WorkProgress Administration (WPA) and theNational Youth Administration (NYA). Someof Camp Skinner’s buildings are still in usetoday near Cheshire Avenue and LincolnStreet. Along with many other projectsaround the Eugene area, the CCCundertook the construction of the basaltretaining walls and stairways on the northside of Skinner Butte, and cleared picnicareas. Although the camp closed less thana year later, transient workers for the StateEmergency Relief Administration (SERA)moved into the vacated buildings andcontinued the park improvement work. Theold stone fireplace that still stands at thenortheast foot of the butte is testimony totheir work, along with other road buildingand landscaping projects.

As another symptom of a growing,industrialized society, the Willamette Riverwas closed to swimming in the 1930s. Thewater quality had become so poor fromupstream sewage and industrial pollutants

that it was deemed unfit for human contact.The old swimming hole was vacated andthe bath house, docks and other structuresremoved.

Another beautification effort wasundertaken on Armistice Day in 1934 toplant trees on the butte. A 24-foot highwooden cross, outlined in red neon, wasalso erected on the top of the butte in 1936,setting the stage for a controversy thatwould last for decades.

Controversy had also broken out over themarker commemorating the originallocation of Eugene Skinner’s cabin that hadbeen placed by the Daughters of theAmerican Revolution in 1906 on SecondAvenue at the alley between Lincoln Streetand Lawrence Street. Phoebe SkinnerKinsley, daughter of Eugene and MarySkinner, was born in the cabin in 1850. Shehad become convinced that the originalmarker was placed in the wrong location,and initiated an effort to place a new markeracross from the old quarry site. In 1930,Phoebe and the DAR placed the newmarker. Today, this marker has been retiredto the Lane County Historical Museum forsafekeeping, and has been replaced by anew one constructed with the help of theEugene Rotary Club. The debatecontinues, however, as to the exact locationof the original cabin.

The Local Parks RevolutionThe 1940s saw the beginning of renewedenthusiasm for park improvements. FredLamb, the parks superintendent in the early1940s, oversaw the clearing of more picnic

Once a majorcommunityswimming area, theWillamette River inSkinner Butte Parkwas closed toswimming in the1930s due topollution

Camp Skinner, shown here in1933, brought a new wave ofcivic improvements to thepark


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areas north of the butte. The open-aircomfort station built for the car camp of the1920s was renamed Lamb Cottage in hishonor. Also, around 1945, temporaryhousing was built in the area of LincolnStreet and Cheshire Avenue for veteransreturning from World War II. Some of thesestructures were later converted into cityoffices, and today house the City of EugeneFacility Management Division.

Year-round, citywide recreation activitiesbegan seriously in 1946 with the hiring ofDon January as the new full-time parkssuperintendent. Through a cooperativeeffort with local and regional governmentand citizens groups, plans andprogramming were developed for manymajor parks in the city parks system, andwere supported by an enthusiasticcommunity through donations of time andmaterials. In 1948 a $2 million tax levy waspassed by the voters for parks. This levyhelped to fund, among other projects, theconstruction of an underground irrigationsystem, lawns, playground equipment andpicnic facilities in Skinner Butte Park.

Shortly thereafter, in 1951, another $1million dollar levy was passed. During thenext decade, W. Riley (Tex) Matsler, the newparks superintendent, oversaw furtherimprovements funded in part through thislevy. Skinner Butte Park received two newpicnic areas, remodeling of Lamb Cottage,reconstruction of roads and sidewalks,repair and new construction of zoo facilities,parking areas and more lawn. The overlookon top of the butte was also reconstructed,and remains much the same today. Also,in 1955, reports also indicate that propertywas purchased to expand Skinner ButtePark in an area north of Cheshire Avenueand east of Lincoln Street.

This trend of incremental improvementswas continued into the 1960s with thepassage of yet another bond levy in 1961.In 1967, major improvements wereundertaken in the heart of the park nearCheshire and Lincoln, including thedevelopment of a new playground,restroom and path system. Thisdevelopment remains largely unchangedtoday.

Also during this time, the remnants ofbuildings associated with metal forge usedby the NYA during the Camp Skinner dayswere converted to a park maintenanceshop and headquarters near Lincoln Streetand First Avenue (an area known as“Lincoln Yard”). Other warehouse buildingswere moved into the Lincoln Yard area fromeast of Lamb Cottage and elsewhere.Today these buildings are still used asstorage and offices for a special unit of theEugene Police Department.

In 1967, a citizen committee dubbed the“Metropolitan Civic Club” conducted amajor research and planning effort forSkinner Butte. This planning effortstemmed from recent, dramatic changesaround the butte, and resulted in the largestpublic involvement effort that had beenundertaken up to that time. A host of grandideas were put forward at this time, inaddition to a clear set of guidelines andrecommendations for the butte. Thisplanning effort did not include the entirepark, but limited its focus to Skinner Butteitself. Although this effort probablycatalyzed subsequent interest in the park,funding to implement therecommendations visions nevermaterialized.

An Environmental AwakeningAround the 1970s, a shift in thinking beganto make its way into the planning anddevelopment of Skinner Butte Park. Thisshift had already begun in the late 1960s,and is evidenced by the guidelines andrecommendations of the Metropolitan CivicClub planning effort that seem to show acommunity preference for values of naturalbeauty and passive recreation. Anawakening environmental ethic and anawareness of dramatic changes in the park(e.g. invasive plant species, river health anderosion) built on the earliest ideas ofSkinner Butte Park as a place of “naturalbeauty,” and began to favor a more subtleand restorative approach to parkdevelopment.

Many improvementsin Skinner Butte Parkwere funded bybond levies overseveral decades


When the I-105 freeway was constructedin 1962, the hydrology of the WillametteRiver was irrevocably changed. Reinforcedbanks supporting the freeway on the northside of the river narrowed the river channelalong the west end of Skinner Butte Park,inevitably increasing the velocity of the riverand directing its flow slightly more to thesouth. Over the next decade, major erosionevents began to eat away the high bankalong the park edge, toppling mammothcottonwoods and carrying away thousandsof cubic yards of soil. By the early 1970s,the park had lost fifteen feet of land in someareas along this edge. In 1975, wirebaskets filled with stone were installedalong the park to help stabilize the bankand reduce further erosion. Today, overtwenty five years later, the gabions arebeginning to fail and the erosion problemis in need of a long-term solution.

In the early 1970s, the Willamette Greenwayprogram, designed to protect large areasof land along the Willamette River for publicaccess, recreation and wildlife habitat,precipitated a series of major landacquisitions and master planning thatwould link Skinner Butte Park with a chainof other city parks up and down the river.The bike path was to be the thread thatlinked them. In 1973, the first gravel-surface bike path was established throughthe park. The path was improved two yearslater, and completed in its current alignmentwith a concrete surface 1977. As the city’smost popular alternative transportationarterial, the bike path is used by bicyclists(including many commuters), rollerbladers,joggers, walkers and many others, and isone of Eugene’s most importantrecreational features.

With this development, the focus of accessand enjoyment of the park began to shiftaway from the automobile. Although mostvisitors today still arrive in the park by car,almost 90% of park visitors report using thebike path. Today’s planning policy andurban design standards are reinforcing thistrend towards less dependence on theautomobile and more emphasis onalternative transportation.

Also in the 1970s, pressure from the publicled to the closure of the small zoo that hadexisted in the park for over fifty years.People lobbied the council for its removal,citing inhumane living conditions of thebears, birds and the lone monkey, “Fang,”that lived there. In 1972, the last bird cageswere finally removed.

Around 1973, the Eugene Jaycees ralliedthe community behind anotherimprovement effort for the butte, andpledged to match $5,000 in fundraising.The City Council matched the money, andthe “Beautify the Butte” effort was launchedand successfully promoted by the Jaycees.Many organizations were involved in theeffort, including the Active 20-30 Club, theAmerican Legion, Kiwanis, Rotary, and theUS Marine Corps Reserve. The main thrustof the effort, as it turned out, was to removethe 1906 reservoir from the summit of thebutte. Following the drafting of animprovement plan for the butte summit asa passive recreation area, the reservoir wasfinally dynamited into history. Concreteremnants of the reservoir can still be foundtoday scattered across the south slope ofthe butte.

Perhaps as another outgrowth of the“Beautify the Butte” campaign, an effortwas undertaken to plant wildflowers on thebutte, and for the first time native plantcommunities were closely examined in acontext of park management anddevelopment. At the request of the parksdepartment, Rhoda Love developed aninventory of plant species in three separate

This sketch, from the early1970s shows a cross sectionof the current river banksstabilization methods used inthe park


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categories of plant communities on SkinnerButte. In her report, she highlighted thetremendous threat that English ivy andother invasive plant species had begun topose to the native plant communities, andrecommended that these invasive speciesbe “removed or drastically controlled.”

The site’s cultural history experienced arevival in the early 1970s when volunteersand donors sponsored the construction ofa replica of Skinner’s Cabin. The cabin waspresented to the city in a celebration ofhistory, and took its place at the northernfoot of Skinner Butte. The original cabinlocation, while not exacly known, wasoutside of park property and had been longsince developed. By 1996, it becameapparent that the cabin would not withstandthe damp, shady conditions on the northside of the butte for much longer, and it wasrestored and moved to a new, sunnierlocation near the playground and restroomand closer to where Skinner may haveoriginally built his cabin. Once again,volunteers and community sponsors suchas the Applegate Trail Committee, helpedrestore the cabin and add an interpretivekiosk, and it was rededicated with anothercelebration of history. Today, the cabinreplica is a popular attraction for historyenthusiasts and followers of the ApplegateTrail.

The Modern EraAfter decades of more or less continualimprovement and expansion, Skinner ButtePark saw relatively few projects in the 1980sand 1990s. This is mostly due to a dramaticdecline in funding to support parkdevelopment and maintenance thatmarked these years. Aside from extensive

volunteer projects undertaken by theEugene Rotary club on Skinner Butte in thelate 1990s, most of the recreational facilitiesremained unchanged throughout thisperiod.

Traffic issues became more of a concernwithin the park in the 1980s. Following astudy that documented high speed andtraffic volumes along Cheshire Avenue, atraffic diverter was installed to help slowthings down. Although the diverter didreduce traffic, it funneled traffic through aparking lot frequented by children visitingthe playground. After a few years, thediverter was removed due to safetyconcerns.

Partly in response to neighborhoodconcerns about high traffic flow onJefferson Street, a proposal was draftedlater in the 1980s to connect CheshireAvenue to Jefferson Street and Owen RoseGarden under the existing I-105 underpass.A block of land north of Cheshire and eastof Lincoln was acquired and several homeswere cleared in anticipation of constructingthe extension. The plans for the connector,however, were rejected by the Whiteakerneighborhood and subsequentlyabandoned.

The debate over the large cross that hadbeen present on Skinner Butte since the1930s, having come to a head some thirtyyears previous, flared up again in the1990s. In 1962, the second wooden crossto adorn the butte blew down in theColumbus Day storm. Debate raged withinthe community over whether or not toreplace it. In the middle of the night in 1963,a large, concrete cross appearedmysteriously on the butte. After muchdebate and a showing of support from thecommunity, the cross was legitimized byaction of the City Council. The battlecontinued in the courts for decades, andin 1997, the cross was finally removed bylegal order. Two years later, throughgenerous community donations andvolunteer efforts, a large American flag andoverlook was constructed in place of thecross as a legally-sanctioned veteran’smemorial.

In the 1980s, plans called fora connection to Owen RoseGarden by extendingCheshire Avenue under I-105to Jefferson Street

Chapter 3: Inventory and Assessment


IntroductionWith a pre-historical and historicalperspective, we’re better able tounderstand Skinner Butte Park as we see ittoday. It is a complex picture, and one thatis influenced by thousands of people andthe changing ideas, attitudes and needs ofgenerations of Eugene residents. Thissnapshot, taken as the master plan isdeveloped, must serve as the base linefrom which we move into the future. Whatis it, then, that we see today?

Natural ResourcesSeveral distinct types of habitat are presentin Skinner Butte Park. Although the naturalareas are characteristically urban, existingin varying degrees of integrity andsuccession, each currently provides animportant component of habitat in thedowntown Eugene area. The five mainhabitat types (See Map 4) are typical ofnatural areas that occur frequentlythroughout the region, and for decadeshave been used as a classroom andlearning opportunity for local residents.

The North-Side Forest:Occurring primarily on the north side ofSkinner Butte, this area is characterized bymature Douglas fir up to 150 years old (orolder), bigleaf maple and younger grand fir.In the absence of disturbance and fire, thisarea is succeeding towards a mixed forestof hardwood and true fir. The middle storyis composed largely of osoberry with

scattered hazelnut, serviceberry andninebark, with an understory of sword fernand various perennials such as falseSolomon’s seal and trilium.

Remnant Oak Savanna Transition:Primarily occurring along the southern edgeof the north-side forest, from the westernedge of the butte across the summit to theeastern edge of the butte, this transitionzone is characterized by both young andmature Oregon white oak, several madrone,and an understory of snowberry, poison oak,ninebark, hazelnut and serviceberry. Thishabitat type, a remnant of once common tothe Willamette Valley and representing whatprobably existed in some areas on SkinnerButte, is slowly disappearing as Douglas firbegins to take hold around the oak trees.This transition to a Douglas fir forest isrepresentative of a common sight aroundthe region, and is valuable as an exampleof an indigenous habitat type that hasbecome largely extinct.

Upland Prairie: Two small areas of remnant savanna prairieexist on Skinner Butte: one on the westernface of the butte above “The Columns”climbing area, and one on the eastern faceof the butte between the EWEB reservoir andthe East Skinner Butte Historic District.These areas are characterized by steep,rocky slopes populated by some remnantnative grasses, including Romer’s fescue,and numerous native forbes and grasses.A plant survey of the western areaconducted by Salix Associates in the spring

ChaptChaptChaptChaptChapter 3:er 3:er 3:er 3:er 3: InvInvInvInvInventententententororororory andy andy andy andy andAssessmentAssessmentAssessmentAssessmentAssessment

38 Chapter 3: Inventory and Assessment

of 2000 indicates a high level of diversityand the presence of several species ofnative plants that have become locallyuncommon. Upland savanna prairie is alsoand endangered habitat type, and highlyvaluable for preservation.

South Skinner Butte Mixed Forest:Much of this area is in transition from theoriginal upland prairie habitat towards amixed hardwood and conifer forest. Someof this transition is occurring through thenatural succession of native trees andshrubs, although a larger percentage is asa result of human activity in conjunction withbeautification projects, as well as the rapidadvance of invasive species. Forest typesinclude dense groves of incense cedar,stands of bigleaf and Norway maple,Mazard cherry, Douglas fir, madrone, giantsequoia, pine and others. Other areas aredominated by thickets of predominantlyinvasive species such as English hawthorn,Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry.Mostly because these forested areas areyoung, they do not support the diversity ofnative plants characteristic of older, nativeforest. A seed bed of dormant native uplandprairie species lies beneath the many areasof the transitional forest and dense cover ofinvasive species. Previous restoration workhas shown that some upland prairie speciesreturn quickly when the covering vegetationis removed.

Willamette River:A significant stretch of riverbank habitatextends along the northern boundary of thepark. This zone varies in width from severalfeet to several hundred feet, and includesgood examples of a diversity of structuralfeatures and habitats common to theWillamette River, such as fluvial terraces, aseasonal island, gravel bars and a smallbackwater slough. Vegetation in this areais dominated by willow, dogwood and alderalong the more stable river bank edges,large cottonwood throughout the terraceareas, and mature bigleaf maple, Douglasfir and Oregon white oak on the steep bankbetween the upper and lower terrace, andalong the edge of the upper terrace. Severalsignificant tree specimens are found in thisarea. Understory vegetation includessnowberry, osoberry, and ninebark and a

range of native herbaceous species. Muchof the riparian zone is also dominated byinvasive species such as Himalayanblackberry, English ivy and reed canarygrass.

A Landscape Under SiegeSkinner Butte Park is under attack byinvasive plants. Most of us don’t recognizethem for what they are. But they’re here,and new invasive species are arriving everyday. Every native landscape in the worldis undergoing the same kinds of dramaticchange, but in an urban area with a mildclimate, good soils and plenty of water, theeffects are dramatic.

The changes are easy to see when youknow what to look for. The forest on thenorth side of Skinner Butte is covered witha carpet of dark green, glossy English ivy.This ivy has spread enormously in recentdecades, and has threatened to literallychoke the life out of the forest and othernative habitats. Ivy covers the ground androbs native plants of light, and competesfor nutrients and water. Most native plantsare suppressed under the green carpet.What was once a diverse forest floor ofannuals, perennials, ferns and wildflowersis smothered, along with the creatures thatdepend on them. The ivy also growsquickly high into the branches of trees,reaching towards the light and eventuallyshading out and killing the host tree.

For several years, efforts have beenunderway to control the ivy. Crews haveconcentrated on removing it from the trees,cutting the stems where they sprout up fromthe forest floor. Other groups of volunteers,botanists and ecologists are experimentingwith removing ivy from the ground. Newevidence shows that, once the carpet ofivy is taken away, the native plants are quickto return. This is good news for foresthabitats in many city parks, includingHendricks Park, where aggressive,organized efforts are underway to controlivy in the park by the year 2010.

Other invasive plants are contributing to thedecline of Skinner Butte Park’s nativeecosystems. Plants like Himalayanblackberry, Portugal laurel, English laurel,

North Side Forest

Remnant Oak Savanna Transition

South Skinner Butte Mixed Forest

Upland Prairie

Willamette River


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Scotch broom, English hawthorn andNorway maple are quickly taking over largeareas of the butte and river banks. Today,very little remains of the original habitatsthat were once plentiful within the park.Although there are a number of factors thatcontribute to this, including management,development and human use, the threatposed by invasive plants is seen asperhaps the greatest.

Invasive plants cause other, more human-related problems, as well. Almost always,the areas that people perceive as most darkand unfriendly are dominated by invasiveplants. As a result, legitimate users tendto shy away from natural areas in the park,and these areas are frequently given overto undesirable uses such as illegalcamping, drinking and drug use. Studieshave shown that humans have an affinityfor the natural beauty of healthy, diverse,native plant communities. Interestingly,

people are naturally drawn to these areasand feel refreshed and comforted by them.Likewise they are repelled by dark, crowdedareas of low biological diversity. A certainamount of the discomfort associated withovergrown or invasive-dominated naturalareas in the park may be related to thisphenomenon.

Riverbank StabilizationSince the construction of the I-105 freewayin 1962, the banks of the Willamette Riverin the western portion of Skinner Butte Parkhave been rapidly eroding. To constructthe freeway, a portion of the north river bankwas extended into the river and armoredwith rip-rap, thus increasing the speed ofwater flow through this area and directingit towards the south bank. Several floodevents triggered large-scale erosion alongthis bank. A typical pattern occurs when alarge cottonwood tree is undercut and fallsinto the river, leaving a large gap of exposedsoil on the high bank. High water forms aneddy in the gap that accelerates the forcesof erosion in a downstream direction.Several efforts have been undertaken tocorrect this problem, including theinstallation of gabion baskets (rock-filledwire baskets) in the early 1970s, and anemergency stabilization project using rip-rap in the later 1990s. Although the morerecent effort appears to be resisting theforces of erosion, the gabion basketsappear to be undercut and are in dangerof failure.

A long-term solution to this problem will benecessary to protect the park from furthererosion. Current management policies forriparian areas, including those associatedwith the listing of native Willamette Riversalmon species through the EndangeredSpecies Act, discourage the use ofstructural stabilization techniques such asrip-rap and gabions. Non-structuralstabilization such as terracing and plantingof stabilizing vegetation is a preferredmethod that helps increase riparian andaquatic habitat value. In particular, thecreation of lower flood terraces is knownto provide refuge and salmon fry migratingtowards the ocean.

English ivy, shown here, canspread quickly throughout the

landscape by birds. Ideally,ivy should be controlled

before it has a chance to setfruit.

Current erosion controlincludes armoring banks withriprap as shown here. This isseen as an emergencymeasure. Non-structuralreinforcement improveshabitat and is the preferredmethod.


Salmon RecoveryThe decline of salmon and steelhead runsin northwest rivers is another story withroots in the arrival of Euro-Americanimmigrants (see Chapter 2). Two majorfactors have contributed to this. One is adecline in water quality, which began withagriculture and logging. These activitiesreleased soil into the water, and contributedto flooding and dramatic cutting of streambeds. Other effects of agriculture includehigh levels of nutrients flowing into the riverfrom livestock, and, later in the 20th century,widespread use of fertilizers and pesticides.Urbanization and industry such as papermills have also greatly impacted the riverthrough chemical t o x i n s ,sewage, oil andgasoline from cars,and increased runofffrom paving andbuildings.

The the other major factor contributing tothe decline of salmon is the rapiddisappearance of diverse habitat neededby salmon during different stages of theirlife cycle. While early logging practicesdestroyed breeding areas in uplandstreams, the Willamette River has also beenchanged dramatically by construction ofnumerous flood control and hydroelectricdams. Over the years, the channel hasbeen transformed through engineeredbanks and dams from a meandering, mile-wide system of diverse sloughs, gravel barsand flood plains, to a single channel (aprocess called “channelization”), oftenflanked by urban development oragriculture (see “Riverbank Stabilization,”this chapter). This drastically reduced theamount of other aquatic habitat typesneeded by salmon - in particular youngsalmon.

The cumulative effect of these factors hasbeen devastating to salmon populations,and in March of 1999, the spring Chinooksalmon in the upper Willamette River basinwas listed as a threatened species underthe federal Endangered Species Act. Thefinal protective rules for the UpperWillamette Spring Chinook were publishedon July 10, 2000 and became effective onJanuary 8, 2001.

In November 1999, the City of Eugeneformed the Eugene ESA/Salmon Team toproactively look for ways to protect and aidthe recovery of listed salmon species.Among the many City programs andpolicies that already contribute towards ahealthy river, the Salmon Team was chargedwith assessing habitat, and reviewing Cityactivities and City policies. For moreinformation see the Eugene/ESA SalmonRecovery Program at http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/salmon.

Given the reduction in the river’s overallcomplexity through channelization, a higherburden is placed on the remainingriverbank areas to realize plans for salmon

recovery. SkinnerButte Park liesadjacent to a stretch

of the WillametteRiver nearly a mile long.

Particularly in an urban area, this providesa good opportunity to contribute to thehealth of the aquatic ecosystem. The useand management of land near the riveraffects aquatic habitat through water qualityand the transfer of healthy levels of nutrientsinto the aquatic system. Developmentefforts recommended through the masterplan should proactively respond to theseissues both in terms of land use and thedetails of construction.

Perhaps more importantly, the park’sprominent location near downtown, as wellas its diversity of habitat types, makeSkinner Butte Park an excellent place toeducate the community about therelationship of human use andmanagement of land to salmon recoveryand water quality issues in general. Clearly,the basis for change in the community mustbe effected through its individuals. Basicconcepts, such as how salmon use thelower river terraces, why salmon are presentin the river year-round, how land use affectswater quality and habitat, and how the riverwe see today has changed over the last150 years, are all good candidates forinterpretation in the park.

Skinner Butte Parkprovides a goodopportunity tocontribute to thehealth of the aquaticecosystem, and toeducate thecommunity aboutsalmon recovery


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Cultural ResourcesAs the birthplace of the city and the moderncommunity, Skinner Butte Park itself is aunique historical resource.Unquestionably, it is the most historicallysignificant resource in the Eugene parksystem. There are also a number ofsignificant cultural resources that persistwithin Skinner Butte Park, the mostprominent of which are described in theOregon Cultural Resource Inventory asfollows:

� The Shelton-McMurphey-JohnsonHouse

� Lamb Cottage� The big “O”� The big “E”� W 2nd Avenue Skinner’s Cabin Marker� Lincoln Street Skinner’s Cabin Marker

(replaced)� Basalt quarry� Skinner Butte (EWEB) Reservoir (1926)� Basalt wall

Other cultural resources, such as the cross,the original Lincoln Street cabin marker andthe old reservoirs have been removed orreplaced. Still other features, such as theVietnam Veteran’s Memorial and the LaneCounty Veteran’s of Foreign WarsMemorial, have contemporary cultural

value but are not old enough to be ofhistoric significance. There may also beother cultural resources in the park that existbut are not cataloged. These resources arekey to the function and role of the park as acultural foundation for the community, andare particularly valuable for their publicaccessibility. Most of these features are notinterpreted, and represent an opportunityto expand public knowledge of Eugene’scultural heritage. .

Shelton-McMurphey-JohnsonHouseSituated on the southern foot of SkinnerButte, this is perhaps the most well-knownand significant of the park’s culturalresources. The house, completed in 1888by Dr. Thomas Shelton, marks the north-south axis of the city, and is among themost significant historic homes in theregion. The Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson(SMJ) House and associated tax lot aremanaged cooperatively by variousdepartments of the City of Eugene and theShelton-McMurphey-Johnson HouseAssociates, a private not-for-profit grouporganizing special community and history-related events, interpretation and generalmaintenance of the house. The houserepresents tremendous potential as a focusfor history-related aspects of the park, andas a gateway to the park from thedowntown area.

The SMJ House Historic Landscape MasterPlan (see Ch. 4) outlines numerous,detailed recommendations forimprovements to enhance the function andlandscape history of this area, and shouldbe evaluated for implementation. Forexample, the sixty-foot wide right-of-wayaligned with Willamette Street serves as thesouth access to Skinner Butte Park, as wellas alternative access to the SMJ House.Parking for both trail users and visitors tothe SMJ House is currently inadequate, andthe situation will continue unless the City isable to acquire additional land in this area.Ya-Po-Ah Terrace, a retirement communityadjacent to the SMJ House, owns vacantland just south of the SMJ House, north ofthe 3rd/4th Connector, and contiguous withthe Willamette Street right-of-way. The SMJ

Skinner Butte Park isunquestionably themost historicallysignificant ofEugene’s parks

The Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House, shown herein the late 19th century, is animportant and charismaticexample of Skinner ButtePark’s important culturalresources


House Historic Landscape Master Planpoints out that an opportunity exists for theCity to negotiate with property owners tosee if shared parking, or a purchase of theland, could be arranged to facilitate theparking needs of the SMJ House and thepark in the future.

Skinner’s Cabin and ApplegateTrailThe only modern interpretations of thecultural heritage of the site, the Skinner’sCabin replica and the Applegate TrailInterpretive Center, have been successfulintroductions into the park. Built throughvolunteer efforts and partnerships,including the Applegate Trail Committeeand Eugene Rotary Club, these interpretivefeatures draw visitors from outside of theregion as part of the story of western Euro-American settlement. They are generallyaccepted as among the most site-appropriate uses for Skinner Butte park,and serve as the cornerstone for futureexpansion of education about regionalhistory and pre-history.

East-Skinner Butte HistoricDistrictThe eastern foot of Skinner Butte is theoldest designated historic residential districtin the city of Eugene. Here, early settlersof the region built homes above the muddyvalley floor that are among the mosthistorically significant and intact within thecity. Designation as a historic district placesa high priority on the preservation of thisneighborhood’s historic integrity. As anabutting land use, the park should respectand, where possible, enhance this aspect

Public ArtTwo significant piece of public art arepresent in the park. The “whale” sculptures,dating from the late 1950s, are a remnantof an early playground just west of LambCottage. The “Solar System” project, whichstretches along the bike path system, isrepresented in Skinner Butte Park by theplanets Saturn an Jupiter. These art piecesare maintained through a plan establishedby the Facility Management Division.

Park FacilitiesSkinner Butte Park offers a variety of basicpark furniture and amenities, including aplayground, a restroom, picnic areas,benches, lights, drinking fountains andtrash receptacles as well as a variety ofunique features (see Map 2: Existing SiteFeatures).

Ball FieldA small, informal softball field representsthe only organized sports-type facility inSkinner Butte Park. Although this field istoo small and irregular for scheduled orcompetetive use, public comments andstakeholder interviews have revealed thatit is useful for non-programmed, informalgames in association with family eventsand social occasions held at the nearbypark core picnic area. Also, historic reportsindicate that the ball field was used prior tothe park’s dedication in 1914, lending it asense of historic significance. It is unknownif the field is still in its original location.

Aging InfrastructureMany recreational facilities in the park haveoutlived their life expectancy, havingchanged little over several decades. Thisis evident to some extent in most areas ofthe park, as emphasized by chipped orbroken equipment, crooked tables, bent orleaning light poles, uneven or brokenpavement and other visible symptoms ofage.

Given the prognosis for growth and aregional need for quality park infrastructure,this is a significant concern for the futurefunctionality of the park. In addition, similarto the psychological effects of impactednatural environments (see “NaturalResources”, this chapter), the condition ofthe built environment will inevitably affectthe culture of the park. It is possible thatthe condition of the infrastructure in SkinnerButte Park contributes to the kinds of usesthat take place there. Well-maintained,quality infrastructure, therefore, isnecessary not only for the functionality ofthe park, but also to develop a positiveculture promoting frequent, legitimate use.

Many facilities inSkinner Butte Parkhave outlived theirlife expectancy

Main Areas of TraditionalMain Areas of TraditionalMain Areas of TraditionalMain Areas of TraditionalMain Areas of TraditionalPPPPPark Fark Fark Fark Fark Facilitiesacilitiesacilitiesacilitiesacilities� Main “park core”

picnic and playgroundarea across from thefacilities buildings,north of CheshireAvenue

� Skinner Butte summitand overlook area

� Picnic area above thehistoric stone wall atthe north foot ofSkinner Butte.

Special PSpecial PSpecial PSpecial PSpecial Park Fark Fark Fark Fark Facilitiesacilitiesacilitiesacilitiesacilities� Campbell Senior

Center and wood shop� Shelton-McMurphey-

Johnson House� Skinner’s cabin replica

and Applegate TrailInterpretive Center

� Lamb Cottage

� “The Columns”climbing area

Other FOther FOther FOther FOther Facilities withacilities withacilities withacilities withacilities withNon-PNon-PNon-PNon-PNon-Park Usesark Usesark Usesark Usesark Uses� Facility Management

Division offices, shopand storage buildings

� The Lincoln Yard

� Child Care, Inc.

� Emergencycommunications toweron Skinner Butte

� EWEB reservoir


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There are also some relatively new featuresin the park, such as the Campbell SeniorCenter, and the Skinner’s cabin replica.These features are more in keeping with adesirable image for the park, and set agood precedent for future improvements.

Transporation andAccessAs a recreational hub for the downtownarea, and a major node on the urbanWillamette Greenway system, circulationand access are an important considerationfor Skinner Butte Park. Multi-modal accessis already reasonably accommodated inthe park, primarily through the bike path,and users report arriving by a number ofdifferent means. According to the citywidesurvey, nearly 60% of park users arrive bycar, while about 35% report arriving bybicycle. Only about one in ten visitors walkto the park, which indicates a need forbetter connection to downtown andneighborhoods.

Vehicular AccessSkinner Butte Park is primarily accessed byvehicle through Cheshire Avenue as themain east-west thoroughfare, connected byHigh Street at the east end and byLawrence and Washington streets at thewest end. The summit of Skinner Butte is

accessed by Skinner Butte Loop,connecting with Lincoln Street to the westand Third Avenue to the east. No data fortraffic volumes is available.

Although there are several vehicular accessroutes, the park can be difficult to find andnavigate by car for anyone unfamiliar withthe area. A lack of good signage and poorvisual connection to downtown or majorroads are contributing factors. Despite itsrelative remoteness, the park hasexperienced problems in recent decadeswith high traffic volumes and speed,particularly on Cheshire Avenue. Widetravel lanes, up to 15 feet, contribute to hightraffic speeds on Cheshire. Currently,raised crosswalks at several locations helpslow traffic and increase pedestrian safetyalong this street.With the exception of the High Streetaccess, vehicular access points to the parktend to be unattractive and are not markedor celebrated. The Lincoln Street andWashington Street access points areamong the least attractive. Lincoln Streetappears to be among the most popularaccess routes to Skinner Butte, whereasWashington Street is a logical main entryto Cheshire Avenue and the west end ofthe park. Lawrence Street is less attractiveas a main access route because it bisectsthe east Whiteaker neighborhood.

Bicycle AccessThe riverbank bike path provides excellentbicycle access to Skinner Butte Park. Thebike path has been continually expandedand improved over the years, most recentlythrough the addition of the new DeFaziobridge just east of the park, and otherbicycle connection improvementsassociated with the Ferry Street Bridgeproject. Many bicyclists also use the bikepath along Washington to access theriverbank route via the access path nearthe Child Care Inc. building. Nearly 9 outof 10 park visitors report using the bike path,even if they arrive by vehicle to use the parkas a jump-off point to access the rest ofthe bike path and greenway system. Thebike path is shared by walkers, runners,roller bladers and others. Conflicts havebeen reported in the more congested areas

The citywide surveyshows the bike pathas the mostfrequently usedfacility in SkinnerButte Park

The South Bank Trail portion of theRiverbank Trail System, shown here inSkinner Butte Park, is a majoralternative transportation corridor andcitywide recreational amenity


of the park, for example near theplayground and picnic area. This mayindicate a need for greater awarenessamong path users, speed regulationfeatures, and/or separation of bicycles andother travel modes.

Bicycle access to the park from other areasis less convenient. Bicyclists accessing thebutte summit have reported conflicts withcar traffic on the narrow, unmarked roads.Among the least convenient of accessroutes is from downtown, where no clearavenue exists to the park. Visitors wishingto enter the park from downtown must findtheir way around the railroad tracks to theeast or west, then continue relatively longdistances through neighborhood areasbefore entering the park. There is also alack of adequate bike racks and bicycle-oriented signage in the park.

Pedestrian AccessPedestrian access to Skinner Butte Park isgenerally adequate where bicycle accessis also convenient. The South Bank Trailand the Washington Street connectionthrough Washington Jefferson Park are themost easily accessible pedestrian entrypoints.

There is, however, no clear pedestrianconnection from downtown to the park.Historically, an unofficial pedestrian accessroute has existed from the north end ofWillamette Street, across the railroad tracksand the recently developed parking lot northof the tracks, to the trail access point nearthe Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House.Since the city was laid out in the 1850s, with

Willamette Street as the main north-southaxis between the summit of Skinner Butteand Spencer Butte, there have been severalofficial attempts to implement a safepedestrian avenue along this historic,clearly intuitive route. Although this routeis still used, as evidenced by the worn pathsand recurring damage to fences, it iscurrently unsafe and generally discouragedby the railroad and other property owners.Developing this path remains the singlemost important opportunity for connectingdowntown Eugene with Skinner Butte Park.

An extensive network of trails exists on thebutte and along the river bank that providepedestrian access to the butte summit andthrough various natural areas. Althoughthese trails are used frequently, they aregenerally in very poor condition. Packeddirt surfaces become muddy in the winterand are prone to erosion, and several maintrail routes developed by the CCC in the193’s have also been severely worn. Dueto both poor trail conditions and lack of trailsigns, many cutoffs exist that denude nativevegetation, cause compaction andexacerbate erosion. Many unofficial trailsalso exist throughout natural areas on thebutte and along the river that are frequentedprimarily by homeless and illegal campers.Currently, many report feeling unsafe whenusing the trail system. It is likely that thelack of signage, poor trail conditions,overgrowth of invasive vegetation andnegative use patterns together contributeto an unsafe feeling in areas of the trailsystem.

Skinner Butte Parkneeds a betterconnection todowntown

The connection from SkinnerButte Park to WillametteStreet, shown here, was

originally intended as themain entrance to the park.

The access is currently cut offby parking lots and railroad

tracks.

Many pedestrians use Lincoln Street to access thepark in the absence of a good alternative


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Context andSurrounding AreasThe city of Eugene, quite literally, grew uparound Skinner Butte Park. Over the past150 years, the area that is now SkinnerButte Park has been surrounded by adiverse and rapidly changing landscape.What began as native prairie gave way toagriculture, and eventually to industry.Today, the park exists surrounded byelements of each of these.

DowntownSkinner Butte Park is within reach for peoplewho work in the downtown area, andprovides important relief and relaxationduring lunchtime, and before and after workhours. As downtown develops as an activeurban and mixed use center, this functionwill become more important. Similarly, thepark has tremendous potential to serve asan easily-accessible recreationalexperience and orientation point for visitorsto Eugene staying in the downtown area.Skinner Butte Park is a likely focus for

visitors wishing to assess the quality of thecommunity, and therefore and is animportant investment for the local economyand job markets.

Skinner Butte, and to a lesser degree therest of Skinner Butte Park, is an importantelement in the character of downtownEugene. It visually anchors the city centerwhen seen from many local viewpointssuch as College Hill, Spencer Butte, thesouth hills and the freeway. The naturalcharacter of the butte, which has oftenemerged as an important theme inmanagement discussions over the years,sets off a pleasing contrast to urbandevelopment and helps lend Eugene its“green” appeal.

Seen from the other direction, downtownis also an essential part of the experienceof Skinner Butte Park. From the butte, onegains a vantage point over the urban centerin the foreground, surrounded in thedistance by the ridgeline and south hills.Once again it is the juxtaposition of urbanand natural, seen from within the naturalisticenvironment of the park, that is particularlyimportant. The urban elements ofdowntown, however, impact the park inunavoidable ways. The process ofindustrialization brought the railroad,highways and cars, power lines and lightsthat are an inescapable part of the parkexperience.

NeighborhoodsThe park is bordered to the southeast bythe East Skinner Butte Historic District (see“Cultural Resources,” this chapter), and tothe southwest by the WhiteakerNeighborhood. The park serves a“neighborhood park” function to residentsin both areas, and is adequately equippedto do so. The family, civic and passiverecreational aspects of Skinner Butte Parkmake it a good neighbor, offering relativelyfew negative impacts often associated withactive recreational facilities such as sportsfields. Although special events may causeparking overflow into neighborhood areas,regular park use typically does not.

Skinner Butte Parkprovides importantrelief, recreation andrelaxation for peoplewho live and workdowntown

This view faces south fromthe summit of Skinner Buttetowards Spencer Butte. The

relationship betweendowntown Eugene and

Skinner Butte Park is veryimportant to both the city and

the park


Agricultural RemnantsTwo community gardens operate justdownstream from the Skinner Butte Park.In the 1970s, the park itself hosted a thirdcommunity garden, as well as a privatefloral nursery in an area since cleared forthe Cheshire Avenue extension (seeChapter 2). In addition, the Owen RoseGarden continues to flourish just west ofthe park on the other side of the I-105bridge. These botanical and agriculturalremnants reflect the early culture of Euro-American settlers who were drawn to thearea for its rich soils and mild climate, andcontinue to bear their influence on thedevelopment of the park. As one example,the Campbell Senior Center offers anattractive floral display for its patrons, andas a backdrop for private occasions.

Skinner Butte Mixed-Use AreaThis industrially-zoned area at thesouthwest foot of Skinner Butte is largelycomposed of older industrial andcommercial buildings of moderate size.Examples of uses include wholesalestorage and distribution, auto body repair,electrical supply, machine shops, etc., aswell as small commercial uses such asoffices, a cafe, music store, etc. Mostindustrial uses are not ideally compatiblewith a public park, and tend to detract fromthe character of the Lincoln Street entranceto the park. Following a redistrictingprocedure, however, this area hasexperienced a recent trend of newercommercial uses, such as REI, which aremore compatible with the park. High-density residential and mixed use are wellsuited development types for this area,including the Lincoln Yard area, in terms ofpark compatibility.

Public InfrastructureBefore the construction of I-105, theexperience of Skinner Butte Park wouldhave certainly been more pleasing than itis today. The noise from the freeway issignificant, both from the east-west sectionacross the river, and from the north-southsection along the western edge of the park.

Similarly, the Ferry Street Bridge borders thepark on the east side. This, along with thenew DeFazio pedestrian bridge, helpsdefine the boundaries of the park with

interesting architectural elements. Unlikethe I-105 bridge, they also provide goodaccess to and from the park for car, bicycleand pedestrian traffic. Noise from car trafficon the bridge does, however, also impactthe park.

Conversely, Skinner Butte Park provides anattractive view for people traveling thesemajor roads. For many people entering thecommunity via Coburg Road or I-105,Skinner Butte Park is an important andinviting landmark.

Other elements of public infrastructuresurround the park, including the EWEBoffices and facilities just east of the park.The presence of these facilities, includingthe reservoir located in the park, is areminder of Skinner Butte’s practical rolein the early development of the community.Although these elements are often seen asdetracting from the park experience, thereis potential to embrace them throughinterpretation.

On the other bank of the Willamette River,commercia and office development hascreated a more urban edge. Althoughsome opinions suggest that this detractsfrom the park experience, it is also aninteresting and successful contrast. Themix of urban and natural landscapes isbeneficial to the livability of the city.Similarly, the park provides an attractiveand inviting view from the development onthe north bank of the river.

Public infrastructureboth defines andimpacts the park

The Ferry Street Bridge helpsdefine the park, provide access

and add an interestingarchitectural element. Traffic

noise, however, detracts from thepark experience.


IntroductionWith the history and physical context of thepark in mind, it is important to consider themost critical element of any park: people.Skinner Butte Park serves a function in ourcommunity. It is affected by, and createdby, those who use it and those who manageit. To determine the best possible futurefor the park, therefore, it is important tounderstand how these influences areworking today. This chapter will discussthe elements of human influence on thepark, from park users to daily parkmanagement to the policy that governsboth. It will also examine some current parktrends, and how they may affect theplanning direction for Skinner Butte Park.

Role and Function

Unique ResourceThrough various shifts in culture andperception, Skinner Butte Park hasremained a vital hub for the city’s parksystem for nearly a century. For manyreasons, as discussed elsewhere, the parkhas and is still a focus for the localcommunity as a whole; a place of commonground and common heritage. This is afundamental part of defining what is nowconsidered a “metropolitan park.” Theother key piece of this definition hingesupon the presence of resources that areunique within the system. A diversity ofunique values, such as the butte, the river,

cultural resources, heritage and socialmeaning, location, size and historicfunction, combine within Skinner Butte Parkto play a complex role in the community.

Birthplace of the CommunityIn a sense, Skinner Butte Park is the cradleof Eugene. Other cities may lay claim to asingle house, a remnant farmstead, orsimply a note in the history books aboutthe origins of their contemporarycommunity. Eugene is fortunate enoughto have preserved, in perpetuity, a parcelof land over 100 acres in size that includespart of the very first Euro-Americansettlement in the area. As the city grew uparound the park (see Chapter 2, Euro-American Settlement), a unique accretionof cultural remnants has evolved within thepark that amounts to a living time table.

Unfortunately, much of this history iscurrently available to only a fewknowledgeable community members. Thisindicates a certain unfulfilled potential forthe park to serve a role as an anchor to thecommunity’s own past. Although the onlyaccessible interpretation of history iscurrently experienced through the Skinner’scabin replica and the Applegate TrailInterpretive Center, there is a strongindication of an awareness of an underlyinghistorical potential within the park. Publicinput clearly shows that this potential ishighly valued within the park.

ChaptChaptChaptChaptChapter 4:er 4:er 4:er 4:er 4: Current use,Current use,Current use,Current use,Current use,Policy and ManagmenetPolicy and ManagmenetPolicy and ManagmenetPolicy and ManagmenetPolicy and Managmenet

48 Chapter 4: Current Use, Policy and Management

It is important for theidentity and socialframework of thecommunity tosupport SkinnerButte Park as asocial center

Natural Resource EducationMany historic precedents point to the roleof Skinner Butte Park as a passiverecreation resource (see Chapter 2, “A BriefHistory of Skinner Butte Park”). Previousplanning and policy for the park, asevidenced by the 1969 Metropolitan CivicClub survey and master planning effort,supports this idea and underscores thetremendous value of the park’s naturalresources around the butte and the river.In recognition of this value, the theme ofpassive recreation has increased inpopularity over the years as thecommunity’s recreational preferences havebegun to edge towards a more balanced,resource-based approach. Communityinput for the development of this masterplan clearly shows a continuation of thistrend.

Although Skinner Butte Park’s prominenceand location demand a certain level oftolerance to human impact in natural areas,it is not adequately directed or minimizedby the current condition of access routesand trails (see Chapter 3, “CurrentCondition”). It is important to recognizethat the park’s natural resources havetremendous potential to play a central rolein education of the community.Supporting this role in the park, however,while protecting the existing resources willrequire a thoughtful and creative approach.

Social CenterThe park has historically served first andforemost as a community focus forindividuals, families and groups throughoutthe metropolitan area for social recreation,perspective, relaxation and enjoyment ofthe natural environment of the butte andriver. As noted in the Hendricks Park ForestManagement Plan, the National Recreationand Park Association puts forthrecommendations for park classificationsthat expand upon those currently used bythe City of Eugene. Specifically, aclassification for natural resource areas,preserves and open space is deemed moreappropriate for areas with high naturalresource values. A metropolitan park isdefined in broader terms as offering a “widevariety” of park and recreation functionsserving the entire metropolitan area.

Skinner Butte Park, although it containssignificant natural resources, isappropriately classified as a metropolitanpark for its diversity of unique values,including social values and history, thatwould be too restricted by a purely naturalresource classification. Furthermore, sinceHendricks Park, a once popular destinationfor large groups and events, has officiallyadopted a policy of reduced visitor impactto protect its natural resources, the needfor suitable sites for these activities isdisplaced to other areas in the park system,or to private developments offering a similarfunction.

Skinner Butte Park provides a number ofareas, including the “park core” areaaround the existing playground, theCampbell Senior Center, the currentlyundeveloped west end, and the summit ofSkinner Butte, that are highly suitable tolarge group social functions. Theimprovement of these areas toaccommodate the expected increase inneed and capacity will be important to bothadequately and comfortably support thisfunction, but also to focus the activity inthose areas and away from more sensitivenatural resources. It is important for theidentity and social framework of thecommunity that this role as a social centerbe preserved and actively supported withinthe park.

The summit overlook area isan important focal point for

the community


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Use PatternsSkinner Butte Park, through a diversity ofactivities that it has to offer, is used inequally diverse ways. The citywide surveyhelped catalog the types and popularity ofcertain general uses. The results suggestan approach for the future that builds onthis diversity, with an emphasis onpreservation and enhancement of thoseuses that are most popular and/orcompatible with other unique, park-specificuses.

According to the citywide survey, peoplecurrently visit Skinner Butte Park mainly forrelaxation, exercise (individual exercisesuch as biking, running, hiking, etc.), toenjoy nature, and for biking (primarilythrough the use of the bike path). Otherpopular uses include visiting the summit ofSkinner Butte for views of the surroundingarea, picnicking, using the playground, andsocial events. This reflects a continuationof passive recreation, social functions andlow-level active recreation (such asindividual sports and playgrounds) as theprimary focus for the park, as supportedby previous planning efforts andmanagement policy.

Some other, complementary uses includeriver recreation, experiencing history, rockclimbing and the occasional use of theexisting softball field. Although some hikersand dog-walkers use the lower river terraceand informal riverbank foot pathriver,access within the park is poor and naturallylimits the extent to which river-relatedactivities may currently be pursued.Likewise, the interpretation of the park’shistoric, cultural resources (see Chapter 3,“Cultural Resources”) is currently limited.Both of these uses are complementary tothe primary uses of the park, and are goodcandidates for greater support andexpansion.

Conflicting Uses

Negative Use:The most conflicting uses present in thepark include negative use patterns such asvandalism, illegal camping, littering, druguse and drinking. Many park facilities andnatural areas are currently impacted bythese activities. In particular, illegalcamping and drug use has created unsafeand unsanitary conditions in certain areasaround the butte and along the river. As aresult of these activities, legitimate usersare wary of entering these areas or avoidthem altogether. Some legitimate usersreportedly also avoid the Skinner Buttesummit parking area during nighttimehours when loud music and underagedrinking may be notably more frequent.Overall, studies show that the re-introduction and support of positive,legitimate use is the most effective remedyto the problem of negative use. Providingclean, attractive and safe facilities,programming, and a legitimate adultpresence such as vending carts, along withactively discouraging negative use mayoffer an effective long-term solution.

Mountain Biking:Mountain bikers and hikers areoccasionally in conflict when using trails onthe butte and along the river bank.Although both user groups impact naturalareas and vegetation through trail cut-offs,erosion and compaction, the small size and

Visitors relax in the park corearea. Survey respondentslisted relaxation as the topreason for visiting Skinner

Butte Park.

Passive recreation,social functions andindividual activerecreation are theprimary focus for thepark


fragility of the park’s habitats are less likelyto sustain long-term use by mountain bikingthan other areas in the park system, suchas the Ridgeline Trail. Because of this, andin recognition of the potential for highpedestrian use from downtown and thesurrounding neighborhoods, mountainbiking may be an inappropriate use for thepark. Streets and bike paths provideadequate bike access to the park, and theshort lengths of trails within the park arenot likely to create a significant draw forlegitimate mountain biking interest.

Organized Sports:The citywide survey indicates organizedsports as the least popular use for the park,as well as the lowest priority for additionsto park facilities (2% to 7% support). Otherpublic input also clearly indicates thatorganized sports are a low priority. Themost frequent explanation for this opinionis that organized sports facilities such assoccer fields and softball fields are seenas a use suitable to any relatively level,open site, and do not reflect or support theunique qualities of Skinner Butte Park.Opinions suggest, however, that theexisting ball field (see Chapter 3), as ahistoric, sub-standard facility, provides anopportunity for informal play associatedwith social events taking place near themain picnic area. The ball field is currentlynot programmed or reserved (due to itssmall size), and should remain open forinformal play only. Support exists forsmaller court-type sports facilities under thecondition that they are strictly ancillary tosocial event functions, and do not conflictwith unique park values.

Changing Society, ChangingUse PatternsOften despite the condition of the facilities,the park is popular and enjoys a great dealof use on summer evenings and weekends.In the morning and in the evening, bicyclecommuters and runners use the bike path.At lunchtime, more noon-hour users areattracted to the park for exercise, or to enjoylunch or take a nap in their car. As in manycity parks, however, there appears to berelatively little activity during other daytimehours.

Changing cultural values, includingproductivity, demands of education, genderroles, work schedules and modes ofpopular entertainment all probablycontribute to this trend in one way oranother. The reactivation of the parkthrough programming that is responsive tothese contemporary trends is seen as keyto shifting back towards more positive usepatterns. In addition, offering opportunities,facilities and management in city parks thatrespond to contemporary leisurepreferences such as nature, education,personal sporting activities and events mayhelp attract more park users back fromother forms of local entertainment and moredistant outdoor recreation destinations.

Focusing on enhancing features attractiveto the public, while restoring and protectingnatural resources may be the key to long-term transformation towards positive usepatterns. With its large size and geographicdiversity, Skinner Butte Park offerstremendous potential in this area.

Management

Staffing and FundingSkinner Butte Park is maintained on aregular schedule, and on an as-neededbasis by general parks maintenance staff.There are no staff currently dedicatedspecifically to the maintenance of the park.Mowing, weeding, pruning, trash removaland facilities repair occur regularly, while

Skinner Butte Parkhas the potential tooffer many featuresthat are attractive totoday’s park users

Mountain bikers, hikers anddog-walkers use the existing,

unimproved river bank footpath


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renovation of planting beds, such as workdone recently near the Facility Managementbuildings and main picnic area, generallyoccurs as maintenance staff and fundingare available. Over the past few years,volunteer efforts through organizationssuch as the Eugene Rotary Club, havehelped stretch currently limited staff andfunding to help maintain and improve thequality of park facilities. With no dedicatedstaff for the park, organizationalresponsibilities have generally been sharedfor these projects.

By financial necessity, the large naturalareas within the park are not maintainedby regular staff. Removal of invasivespecies has increased in recent years, suchas ivy removal in the north side forest, aswell as blackberry and Scotch broomremoval, and thinning of vegetation in otherareas. This work has typically occurredthrough staff-managed volunteer efforts orcontracted labor with youth organizationsor county corrections crews. Ongoingexperimentation has been exploring themost effective methods for invasive speciesremoval in conjunction with local naturalistsand students from the University of Oregon.

Recent efforts have increased aroundremoval of debris from illegal camps anddrug use. Funding was recently allocatedfor a river-bank clean-up effort that has

helped spur activity in this area. In thewinter and spring of 2001, a large area ofinvasive plant species was removedthrough a separate project from the southSkinner Butte area, west of the SMJ Houseand north of the Lincoln Yard. Dozens ofillegal camps, including tons of litter andwaste and hundreds of hypodermicneedles, were also removed. SMJ housestaff report that legitimate use hasincreased significantly in this area since theproject was completed.

There are no permanent or renewablefunding sources committed to themaintenance of Skinner Butte Park. In theface of imminent budget cuts andincreasing demand on maintenance staff,this has been a significant challenge. Giventhe importance of this resource, the needfor long-term funding is urgent.

Events and ActivitiesSeveral major annual events occur inSkinner Butte Park, including the Butte-to-Butte run in early summer, bicycle racesand a breakfast social during the EugeneCelebration. These events are allowed bypermit, and contribute greatly to positiveuse patterns. For its location and generallygood access and parking, Skinner ButtePark is an ideal location for community-wide events. These and other types ofevents should be encouraged andsupported through facility improvementand policy.

Several facilities in and around SkinnerButte Park are available for renting. LambCottage, the Campbell Senior Center andthe Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson Houseare all rented and frequently booked forprivate events. Records show that otherpark facilities around the city are also rentedto capacity, particularly during the warmseason, and indicate a need for more ofthis type of facility. Large and small outdoorrental shelters are among the most popularfacilities for private events. If public facilitiesfail to accommodate this need, there maybe a greater likelihood that the privatesector will move to fill the demand, possiblyforfeiting the benefits of community-building and positive use patterns in cityparks.

There are nopermanent orrenewable fundingsources committedto maintenance ofSkinner Butte Park

Urban Forestry staff on call inSkinner Butte Park

The need for long-term funding isurgent


StatewideRecreationPlanningThe 1994-1999Oregon OutdoorRecreation Plan,prepared by theO r e g o nDepartment ofParks and

Recreation, included an extensive surveyof recreation preferences and participationthroughout Oregon. The results revealsignificant trends towards passiverecreational activities such as walking,running, picnicking, trail use and natureobservation. This study closely reflectslocal trends revealed through the citywidesurvey for preferred uses of Skinner Butte

A statewide surveyrevealed trendstowards passiverecreation activities

Relevant GRelevant GRelevant GRelevant GRelevant Goals and Poals and Poals and Poals and Poals and Policies of the 1989 Eugene Policies of the 1989 Eugene Policies of the 1989 Eugene Policies of the 1989 Eugene Policies of the 1989 Eugene Parks andarks andarks andarks andarks andRecreation PlanRecreation PlanRecreation PlanRecreation PlanRecreation Plan

� Strengthen the role of recreational and cultural services in order to improve thecommunity’s marketability and economic base.

� Maintain, remodel and upgrade park, recreational and cultural facilities in orderto respond to changing uses as well as attain and preserve operationalefficiency.

� Prepare general plans for major park land and facilities prior to development orrenovation in order to promote project coordination and to conserve and protectnatural open spaces where appropriate.

� Provide natural areas, cultural amenities, and unique open spaces foreducational and passive leisure use.

� Protect unique geographical features, buttes, and other natural landmarks inparks and other recreational facilities for their contribution to the community’sidentity.

� In coordination with the Historic Review Board, identify and acknowledgehistoric sites, buildings, structures and objects and preserve their integrity inpark and recreational facilities.

� Treat environmental enhancement as a component of recreational development.

� Protect views from natural promontories that are not yet developed if they are inpublic ownership.

� Promote the development of bicycle and pedestrian routes between allneighborhoods and major recreational and cultural resources such as theWillamette River, the south hills and the downtown area.

� Encourage bus and bicycle use for traveling to parks by providing shelters,drop-off areas, and bicycle paths.

� Provide safe parking at parks and recreational facilities that commonly drawcrowds arriving by both automobile and bicycles.

� Provide safe and convenient access to parks and recreational facilities forpersons with disabilities.

Current Policy andTrends

StatewidePlanningGoalsStatewide Goal 5supports theconservation ofopen space andthe protection ofnatural andscenic resources.This goal also

highlights the importance of managingexisting resources, including cultural areas,historic areas, natural areas, open space,scenic areas and wilderness so as topreserve their original character.

Statewide Planning Goal 8 mandates andsets forth criteria for assessing, planningand developoing recreational facilities.Guidelines are also provided forimplementation of recreation plans,including funding sources, review criteriaand basic priorities. The 1989 EugeneParks and Recreation Plan was createdthrough the recommendations of Goal 8.

Statewide Planning Goal 15 mandates theWillamette River Greenway, includingpreservation and public acquisition of landalong the Willamette River for publicaccess, recreation, scenic quality andwildlife habitat. Skinner Butte Park is withinthe defined boundary of the Greenway, andis subject to the special permittingrequirements established by Goal 15.Triggers requiring a Greenway permitapplication include any development,change of use or intensification of use onproperties within the Greenway. The permitprocess requires extensive documentationof project parameters, public review and apublic hearing.


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Park. The study also reflected a desire formore activities in these areas, also includingcultural events and botanical and historicaldisplays.

The survey also explored barriers toparticipation in local recreation activities.Over 60% of respondents cited having “notime” to participate in their favorite activities,followed by the response that conditionsare “too crowded”, or “too far” toparticipate. These trends generally supportthe need for development of passiverecreational facilities on a level that canadequately serve the local populationwithout overcrowding or excessivecompetition for the resource, as well ascreative and attractive programmingadapted to modern lifestyles and able tocompete with increasing time demands.

EugeneParks andRecreationPlanThe 1989 EugeneParks andRecreation Planhighlights severalrecommendationsaffecting SkinnerButte Park (see

box inset on facing page). Skinner ButtePark is the most significant park resourcein the Central Planning District, which ischaracterized by the highest housingdensity (and lowest household size), the

lowest home ownership rate, and thehighest percentage of total development(95%) of all 11 districts within the city. Thisunderscores the park’s importance as asocial center and open space resource forthe downtown area.

High-priority actions in the 1989 planinclude the construction of sand volleyballcourts, the completion of land acquisitionnorth of Cheshire Avenue, and theextension of Cheshire Avenue through theexisting I-105 underpass to connect withJefferson Street and the Owen RoseGarden. This recommendation still makessense in terms of a functional connectionbetween Skinner Butte Park and OwenRose Garden, but has met with resistanceduring neighborhood planning efforts.Public response towards volleyball courtshas been generally ambivalent.

Medium priority actions include workingwith the Historic Review Board to evaluatevarious ways to preserve historic sites inthe Skinner Butte area and to increasepublic awareness of their role in Eugene’searly development. This recommendationis clearly reflected in current publicsentiment.

Metropolitan NaturalResources StudyState Planning Goal 5 mandates theinventory of natural resources by localjurisdictions. A joint team including the Cityof Eugene, the City of Springfield and LaneCounty is currently in the process ofcompleting a study for the Eugene/Springfield metro area. Although specificrecommendations are not due to bepublished until 2003, preliminary mapsidentify Skinner Butte as significant uplandhabitat, and the banks of the WillametteRiver through Skinner Butte Park as asignificant riparian corridor. These areasare likely to be identified for preservationand restoration of existing habitat values.

Downtown VisioningAs highlighted through an extensive publicinvolvement and visioning process in 2000/2001, urban planning goals for Eugeneinclude bringing more residents and higher

Planning goals tobring more highdensity residentialdevelopmentdowntown highlightthe importance ofSkinner Butte Parkas an open spaceresource

The Downtown Visioningprocess and North EndScoping Group identifiedopportunities to connectdowntown to Skinner ButtePark near the historic trainstation, shown here c. 1912


development densities into the downtownarea. As part of an overall program toreduce urban sprawl, transportationdemands and the decentralization of thecommunity, this is important for the long-term health and vitality of the city’s urbancore. Other policy and infrastructureimprovement measures are being taken toeffect these changes.

As the largest urban park directly adjacentto the downtown core of Eugene, SkinnerButte Park will be a key resource forrevitalization of this area. Urban residentswill need readily accessible open spacesas a counter-balance to urban living.Development and maintenance ofrecreational and natural resources to servethis increasing urban population, as wellas convenient pedestrian and bicycleaccess from the downtown area, will beimportant for the success of these planninggoals. Specific visions for the downtownarea include a pedestrian extension ofWillamette Street near the train station tothe Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson Houseand the summit of Skinner Butte.

North EndScopingGroupIn 1999, a citystaff-faci l i tatedc o m m i t t e einitiated by themayor andEugene CityCouncil met todiscuss the future

of the north end of downtown Eugene,including 5th Avenue, between High andCharnelton, and the train station area. Theplan highlights several recommendationsaffecting future planning and policy forSkinner Butte Park (see inset box to right).

WhiteakerNeighborhoodRefinementPlanThe Whiteakern e i g h b o r h o o drefinement plan,developed in1994, proposess e v e r a lrecommendationsrelevant to Skinner

Butte Park. These recommendations arelisted in the table on the facing page.

Planning forSkinnerButte ParkVery little planninghas taken placespecifically toguide thedevelopment ofSkinner ButtePark. The mostrecent effortinvolved theMetropolitan Civic

Club, formed in 1969 to look at SkinnerButte and generate ideas for possible uses(see Chapter 2). Many separate planningefforts have also been undertaken for otherareas of Skinner Butte Park, includingdevelopment of picnic areas, the summit

There has neverbeen acomprehensiveplanning effort forSkinner Butte Park

Relevant Recommendations from the NorRelevant Recommendations from the NorRelevant Recommendations from the NorRelevant Recommendations from the NorRelevant Recommendations from the North End Scoping Groupth End Scoping Groupth End Scoping Groupth End Scoping Groupth End Scoping Group

� Creating a pedestrian connection to the Shelton-McMurphy-Johnson House andup the south side of Skinner Butte

� Promoting pedestrian use and implementing traffic calming measures

� Keeping and restoring the train station, and promoting it as a civic destination

� Providing safe pedestrian access to the train station from areas north of thetracks

� Creating new public spaces

� Promoting street vendors and other activation of public space

� Promoting increased density, mixed use and residential development of thenorth end area

� Developing design standards to reflect the unique historic character of the area

� Providing shuttle bus services, on-street parking and parking structures

� Providing more bicycle parking


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overlook area, parking areas, riverbankstabilization, street improvements, buildingrenovations, etc. None of these effortsappear to have been guided by a publiclyadopted master plan. Several studentprojects through the University of OregonLandscape Architecture program representthe first attempts to address the parkholistically. These plans, however, weredeveloped with minimal public involvementand were also never officially recognizedor adopted.

Shelton-McMurhpey-JohnsonHouse Historic LandscapeMaster PlanThis recent body of grant-funded researchoutlines suggestions for the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House andsurrounding areas. Although this is not anofficially adopted plan, some aspects arecurrently under consideration.

SummaryAlthough no publicly-adopted master planhas previously existed for Skinner ButtePark, current planning policy clearly pointsto the importance of this resource forpassive recreation, preservation of culturalresources, as well as the livability andeconomic success of downtown Eugene.Overall, related planning efforts alsosupport the theme of respecting the uniqueaspects of the park, and combining themsensitively for a diversity of recreationalexperiences, education, and intrinsicnatural and cultural resource values.

Relevant Recommendations from the Whiteaker NeighborhoodRelevant Recommendations from the Whiteaker NeighborhoodRelevant Recommendations from the Whiteaker NeighborhoodRelevant Recommendations from the Whiteaker NeighborhoodRelevant Recommendations from the Whiteaker NeighborhoodRefinement PlanRefinement PlanRefinement PlanRefinement PlanRefinement Plan

� Expand Skinner Butte Park in order to facilitate use and enjoyment of theShelton-McMurphey-Johnson House and to protect the lower slopes fromfurther erosion by retaining significant vegetation

� Continue to pursue acquisition of the vacant wooded portion of the Ya-Po-AhTerrace property, south of the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House for publicopen space and retention of as much of the wooded area as possible

� Examine City acquisition of the vacant parcels on the northeastern edge ofSkinner Butte Park for public open space and retention of the urban forest

� Recognize the Skinner Butte Mixed Use Area as appropriate for a mixture of landuses including light-medium industrial, commercial and residential

� Continue to encourage the development of community garden space on suitablepublicly owned land in the Whiteaker community

� In evaluating future new park-related uses or activities at the City maintenanceyard at 255 Lincoln Street, consideration should be given to the impactsproposed uses may have on Skinner Butte, particularly with regard to thesouthwesterly view of the City from the road immediately above the property.Consider replacing the existing parking lot for basalt column users to a new siteon the northern portion of the maintenance site.

� Improve landscape in the open space portion of the park area north of CheshireStreet and east of the I-105 bridge

� Prior to establishing a budget for the project or expending any additional Citycapital funds, conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts associatedwith the potential extension of Cheshire Street from Washington Street toJefferson Street under the I-105 bridge

� Identify portions of the Willamette Riverbank to preserve in as natural a state aspossible. This would include encouraging the use of native plant species thathelp to support wildlife and NOT planting green lawns

� Strengthen policy aimed at protecting natural vegetation and wildlife habitats [inparks] by including support for diversity of wildlife species and populations.Shift planting of public parks away from heavily managed ground to natural self-propagating plants to obtain low-maintenance costs while considering safety.

Skinner Butte Park has longbeen surrounded by a mix of

industrial, commercial andresidential uses (as shown in

this 1934 photograph). TheWhiteaker Neighborhood

Refinement plan suggestscontinuing this mix of uses in

the Skinner Butte area.

56 Chapter 5: Master Plan


Park PolicyFramework

IntroductionThis chapter begins by recapturing thepolicy information provided in Chapter 1.The purpose is to outline the policyframework developed during the publicinvolvement and research process as areference point for further policyrefinements as follows:

� Management Units� Habitat Management Plan� Viewshed Management Plan

At the end of this chapter, the most practicaland important piece of the master plan ispresented: the Implementation Plan.

Vision StatementThe Skinner Butte Park vision statementresponds to the issues and desiresgenerated at the first public workshop. Itis a long-term picture of how the parkshould look and function. A draft visionstatement was presented at the secondworkshop and amended to become moreinclusive and respond to a desire foremphasis in certain areas. It is meant tobe the overall guide under which all aspectsof the master plan are organized. In otherwords, the goals, strategies and actionslisted hereafter are all tools to realize thisvision

ChaptChaptChaptChaptChapter 5: Skinner Butter 5: Skinner Butter 5: Skinner Butter 5: Skinner Butter 5: Skinner Butte Pe Pe Pe Pe Parkarkarkarkark Mast Mast Mast Mast Master Planer Planer Planer Planer Plan

As the birthplace of Eugene, and as a unique landmark of geography, history andecology, Skinner Butte Park plays a vital role at the heart of our community. Thecare and stewardship of this public resource shall be a top priority, with a focus oncreating a “crown jewel” of Eugene’s parks. Skinner Butte Park will foster civicpride and a citywide sense of community, and will provide a diverse blend ofrecreational and educational opportunities for everyone. This shall beaccomplished by emphasizing and interpreting its rich cultural history and uniquegeography, including the butte and the Willamette River; by building a strongerconnection to downtown; by revitalizing its core park facilities and, above all; byprotecting and enhancing its valuable native habitats for the enjoyment of futuregenerations.

Vision Statement


IssuesThe vision statement responds to a set ofcurrent issues surrounding the park. Thefollowing list highlights the most commonlymentioned and critical of these issues asthey were explored during the first publicworkshop session. The list has beenupdated and revised as research andbroader public input helped direct theprocess. The planning process was aimedat addressing these specific issues, whichhelped set the tone for discussions andresearch leading to the set ofrecommendations contained in this plan.This list expands on the issues presentedin Chapter 1.

Issue #1: The mission and role of thepark is unclear.....

Issue #2: The park’s rich natural andcultural history hastremendous potential but ispoorly represented andinterpreted.

� The park is the physical origin of the cityand local community.

� Local native cultures had a presence in thepark for thousands of years that is notcurrently represented.

� Many historical features that exist in the parkremain anonymous.

� Some historic features in the park aredeteriorating.

� No clear policy exists regarding the role ofthe SMJ house in the park.

� Historic views from the butte are largelygone and disappearing quickly.

Issue #3: Active management ofnatural areas is needed.....

� Natural resources have a high communityvalue.

� Most natural areas in the park are dominatedby invasive vegetation.

� Some valuable native habitat is in danger ofbeing lost.

� Rare plants exist in the park.� No comprehensive natural resources study

exists for the park.� Some conflicts exist between maintenance

practices and natural systems.� No staff resources are available for

maintenance of natural areas.

Issue #4: Park amenities areinsufficient and outdated.

� The park has a strong civic focus, but lackscertain key support facilities.

� Many support facilities were developedbetween 25 and 50 years ago, and no longerretain the quality and function to support theneeds of a growing population.

� The west end of the park remainsundeveloped and under-utilized.

� Physical intrusions such as the radio towerimpact recreation and aesthetic values.

Issue #5: The butte embodies multipleunique values.

� The butte is a geographic landmark ofhistoric significance, whose historicappearance and view sheds are threatenedby forestation in the absence of pre-historicmanagement.

� The butte contains remnant natural areas ofnoteworthy integrity, especially valuable fortheir proximity to downtown, that arethreatened by forestation and invasivevegetation.

� The butte is a significant feature for nativeresident and migratory birds.

� The butte represents a civic focus, attractionand icon for a community identity, but is inpoor repair and lends a somewhat run-downimage.

The Master Planresponds to a set ofcurrent issues in thepark

The University of Oregonobservatory, seen here in this

1890 photograph, is oneexample of a rich history in

Skinner Butte Park that needsto be made available to the

community through moreinterpretation


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Issue #6: The Willamette River is akey component of the park.....

� The river is a unique and dominatingfeature that connects the park regionally.

� The river corridor provides valuablehabitat.

� A large section of the river bank is indanger of collapse or major erosion.

� Current bank stabilization methods arenot environmentally sensitive.

� There is potential for using natural riverbank restoration techniques.

� Some activities, such as illegal campingand mountain biking, may adverselyaffect the quality of the riparian area forboth habitat and recreation.

Issue #7: A connection from thebutte to downtown is ofkey importance, but doesnot currently exist.

� There is no direct access from downtownto the butte due to the 3rd/4th connector, aprivate parking lot and the railroad tracks.

� A historic plan for a pedestrian corridorfrom Willamette Street to the butte wasnever realized, but remains key to thefunction of the park.

� Illegal camping and poorly defined pathsdominate the pedestrian experience onthe south butte from the summit todowntown.

Issue #8: Access and circulation areadequate, but could beimproved.....

� Entrances to the park are generally not welldefined.

� Bike and pedestrian access from downtownand adjacent neighborhoods is poor.

� The hiking trail system has potential but ispoorly defined and feels unsafe.

� Undefined trails in the natural areas on theriver and butte are causing damage.

� The existing I-105 underpass is closed andunused.

� I-105 has several adverse impacts on thepark and adjacent neighborhood.

Policy GoalsThe following goals are adapted fromresearch, interviews and responses atpublic workshops for the Skinner ButteMaster plan. These goals set the stage forspecific ways of achieving the visionpresented in the vision statement. They canalso be called “policy goals” in that theyaffect park improvement, maintenance andprogramming policies, as well as howfuture ideas for what to do with the parkwill be evaluated.

1. Preserve, enhance and recognizeSkinner Butte Park’s rich naturaland cultural history as apredominant theme, and promotethis through diverse interpretiveand educational opportunities.

2. Protect, repair and restore thehealth and viability of diversehabitat types in Skinner Butte Parkby creatively managing valuablenatural resources andsuccessional processes.

3. Improve and maintain SkinnerButte Park as a key, high-qualitycivic destination for private, public,community and neighborhoodsocial events, activities andindividual recreation.

Multiple interestsrequire a sounddecision-makingframework

An informal footpath followsthe banks of the WillametteRiver in Skinner Butte Park.

Recognizing and celebratingthe river is seen as important

to the future of the park


4. Recognize the Willamette River andthe river corridor as a keycomponent of Skinner Butte Park,and protect, repair and restore thisresource while integrating abalance of recreational access anduse.

5. Emphasize and encourage bicycleand pedestrian transportation whileproviding for clear, convenient andadequate disabled access andvehicular use within Skinner ButtePark .

6. Recognize and strengthen SkinnerButte Park’s connection withdowntown and adjacentneighborhoods.

StrategiesSpecific strategies and actions arerecommended to execute the masterplanning goals for Skinner Butte Park.These are essentially the nuts and bolts ofthe master plan, and begin to chart the way,step by step, toward realizing the overallvision for the park. The outline of thesestrategies is provided in Chapter 1.

Strategies provide categories for specificideas (actions) about making changes inthe park. In this chapter, the strategies areintegrated directly into the ImplementationPlan spreadsheet at the end of the chapter.

Management Units

IntroductionIn this section, the general approach tomanagement of Skinner Butte Park will bediscussed to provide a framework for theImplementation Plan. This will help guidepermitted uses, maintenance operations,volunteer projects and other efforts notspecifically covered in the ImplementationPlan. See Map 7 for a graphic key to themanagement units described in thischapter.

Intent and ApplicationThe Implementation Plan recommends thecreation of management units within thepark to identify specific areas and highlightpreferred uses, management guidelinesand development patterns appropriate toeach area. Management Units for SkinnerButte Park will include a diversity ofmanagement types, including recreationalunits and habitat units, that indicate thefocus of the area.

CriteriaThe Skinner Butte Park management unitswere created to balance a diversity of usesthroughout the park, and emphasize usesand management types that are mostsuitable to each area. Preferred uses andmanagement recommendations shallreflect the intent of the Master Plan visionand policy goals in various areas of thepark. Each unit shall be described by ageneral boundary as shown on Map 7.

Modification of UnitsUnit boundaries are general in nature andmay be modified based on the findings offuture research efforts such as the habitatinventory, oversights in the planningprocess, and/or evolving use patterns ofthe park.

Management Unitshelp define uses anddevelopmentpatterns for diverseareas within the park

The Campbell Senior Centeris one example of many

different types of facilities andland uses present in Skinner

Butte Park. Definingappropriate uses through

management units is a keygoal of the Master Plan.


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Unit CategoriesEach Management Unit fits into one ofseveral general categories. Overallpreferred uses and facility types are listedbelow for each of these categories. Notethat these general preferences may berefined by each individual ManagementUnit description.

H - Habitat UnitFocus: Habitat Units focus on thepreservation, restoration and maintenanceof diverse habitat types in the park.

Preferred Uses: Preferred uses for theseareas include restoration and maintenanceactivities by City staff, contractors and/orvolunteer efforts as outlined in the HabitatManagement Plan, the ViewshedManagement Plan and theImplementation Plan. Other preferreduses include passive recreation and accessto habitat units for hiking, birding, observingnature, classes, education and similaractivities. Large group events or activities,uses that create excessive noise or damageto native vegetation, and programmed uses(besides educational, restoration ormaintenance activities) are stronglydiscouraged for these areas.

Facilities: Facilities appropriate for theseareas include soft surface trails such asgravel or wood chips, dirt trails, wayfindingsignage, interpretive kiosks or signs forecology or history, limited benches of naturalmaterials, railings, and small bridges or

boardwalks where necessary. Facilities notin keeping with habitat management valuesare also discouraged, except as specificallynoted for each zone. Care should be takento avoid rare plant populations, significantbird nesting sites and other key ecologicalconsiderations.

Vegetation Management: Appropriatevegetation types shall be described for eachzone. See Chapter 3 for descriptions ofexisting vegetation in specific areas.

R - Recreation UnitFocus: Recreation Units focus onrecreational uses generally appropriate forSkinner Butte Park.

Preferred Uses: Preferred uses includeindividual, informal recreation such aswalking, running, biking, kite flying, Frisbee,children’s play, picnicking, family events,large community events, exhibitions, andcelebrations, programmed events andactivities, private events, informal andprogrammed use of existing facilities asdescribed specifically by each unity,education, classes, tours, etc. Uses notappropriate for these areas includeprogrammed, organized field sports suchas soccer and softball.

Facilities: Facilities appropriate to theseareas shall be ADA accessible and includehard-surface paths, pedestrian-scale lights,benches, picnic tables, shelters, playequipment, art installations, interpretivefeatures, bike facilities, parking and utilityaccess, water and power sources, etc. asspecifically described for each unit, or asnoted the Implementation Plan.

Vegetation Management: Appropriatevegetation types shall be described for eachzone.

S - Special UnitSpecial Units are unique in purpose and/orcharacter, and are described individually interms of use and management, as well astheir special relationship to the park.

Management Unitsare divided into threeseparate categories:

Habitat UnitsRecreation UnitsSpecial Units

The undeveloped west end ofSkinner Butte Park, shownhere, will benefit from a cleardefinition of preferred usetypes


Management UnitDescriptions

Habitat Units (H1 - H10)

H1: North Skinner Butte ForestNative forest ecosystem management isthe top priority for this area. Managementshould support succession towards ahealthy, old growth forest characterized bya multi-story stand of bigleaf maple,Douglas fir, grand fir, and other mixedconifer and hardwood species native to theWillamette Valley. Middle and understoryvegetation shall also be managed for amaximum diversity of native species. Thegenerally-applicable resourcemanagement objectives and strategiesoutlined in the HPFMP for the Douglas FirManagement Unit (FMU) are appropriatefor this unit.

Special appropriate uses include thedesignation of a significant pedestrianroute from the summit of the butte,approximately following the route ofexisting trails, to the historic picnic area atthe northern foot of the butte. Thispedestrian route will include the use ofnatural materials such as stone masonry,stairways, benches, and some areas ofrailings to control short cutting and erosion.

H2: South Skinner Butte MixedTransitional ForestNative forest ecosystem management isthe top priority for this area. Removal ofinvasive species and directing forestsuccession towards a healthy nativesystem of higher diversity and greaterhabitat function is a key management goal.Diverse forest types should be allowed todevelop naturally within the unit.

Multiple master plan management goalsaffect this area, and need to beaccommodated. In particular, the CriticalViewshed Overlay Zones predominantlyaffects this area, and shall be appliedaccording to the Viewshed Management

Plan. This area is also covered by the BirdMigration Overlay Zone that encouragesthe long-term maintenance of a significant,native tree canopy.

Special appropriate uses include thedesignation of a significant pedestrian routefrom the southern foot of the butte near theShelton McMurphey Johnson House,approximately following the route of existingtrails, to the summit of the butte. Thispedestrian route will include the use ofnatural materials such as stone masonry,stairways, benches, and some areas ofrailings to control short-cutting and erosion.Low-level pedestrian lighting will be allowedalong this route.

H3: Oak Savanna Transition AreaNative oak savanna ecosystemmanagement is the top priority for this area.The band of oak and dense undergrowththat defines the northern edge of existingupland prairie and managed meadowareas should be preserved near its currentcondition. This band generally reachesfrom the western edge of the butte to theeastern edge, and provides a key transitionarea from the more open habitats to the

Special uses that areconsideredappropriate for eachhabitat unit are listedin the unitdescriptions

The North Skinner ButteForest (H1) unit ischaracterized by severallayers of native plants, as wellas rapidly spreading areas ofinvasive English ivy.


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south into the forested condition on thenorth side of the butte. Invasive speciesmay be removed in these areas, as well asnative species such as Douglas fir, bigleafmaple and incense cedar that wouldcompete with the oak woodland.Understory native vegetation, such asserviceberry, ocean spray, indian plum,snowberry and native herbaceous plantsshould be left intact. The transition areamay, however, be extended into the prairieareas with native shrubs, etc. Oregon whiteoak should be added or encouraged topreserve future succession of this habitattype. Uses for this area are consistent withthe general Habitat Management Unitdescription.

H4: Upland PrairieNative upland prairie ecosystemmanagement is the top priority for this area.Existing areas of relatively intact nativeupland prairie shall be enhanced andexpanded. Some conversion of portionsof the South Skinner Butte Mixed Forest(see Chapter 4) towards a native uplandprairie ecosystem will occur in this area. Inprairie restoration areas, non-native treesas well as most native conifers and maplesmay be removed to create appropriategrowing conditions for upland prairie plantcommunities. See the HabitatManagement Plan for restoration criteria,including the tree removal authorization.Some native oaks, madrone and maple will

be left in transition areas of this unit.Selected smaller, native trees may also beplanted in these areas to add to the overallplant diversity and habitat value. Other treesmay remain for screening or other aestheticpurposes. Uses for this area are consistentwith the general Habitat Management Unitdescription.

H5: Wet PrairieNative wet prairie ecosystem managementis a high priority for this area. Irrigated, non-native lawn areas will be converted towarda functional wet prairie ecosystem.Irrigation will be discontinued, and amowing schedule appropriate for wetprairie management will be commenced.Scattered native trees appropriate to wetprairie growing conditions may be addedto this area. Non-native plants along theexisting embankment below (north of)Cheshire Avenue and in the east end(picnic area/parking lot embankments)may be removed and replaced with lower-growing native species. Visibility fromCheshire Avenue and parking areas into thepark is a priority.

Special appropriate uses include individual,group or community uses ancillary to useor rental of Lamb Cottage. Picnicking,barbecues, etc. may occur in this area asconditions such as soil moisture permit.Maintenance schedules and priorities forwet prairie areas, however, need not bealtered to accommodate these uses. A 20-foot wide strip of mowed, irrigated lawnshall be retained along the bike paththrough this unit. All current and future usesand facilities related to the bike path shallbe allowed for the bike path and lawn striparea, including lighting, bike parking,benches, signs, etc. Picnicking and usesrelated to the existing picnic area at the eastend of this unit are also appropriate.

Redevelopment of hard surface paths forpedestrian and bicycle traffic will also occurin this area. These paths shall beconsistent with the intent conveyed by theSkinner Butte Park Draft Master Planillustration (see Map 1).

Some Habitat Unitsrecommendrestoring historichabitat types

Figure 3: H5 Skinner Butte Summit Mowed Area

Mowed Area


H6: Upland Prairie / Wet PrairieA blend of native upland and wet prairieecosystem management shall be the toppriority for this area. See units H4 and H6,respectively, for upland prairie and wetprairie habitat management guidelines.Significant conversion of non-native,irrigated lawn areas towards upland andwet prairie ecosystems will occur in thisarea. Irrigation will be discontinued, and amowing schedule appropriate for nativeprairie management will be commenced.

Special appropriate uses for this areaincludes cultivation, maintenance andharvest of camas and tar weed crops in amanner consistent with, or generallyrepresentative of, techniques applied byNative Americans in the Willamette Valley.Community events celebrating this andother interpretive values of native uplandand wet prairie are also appropriate for thisarea. This is also seen as an opportunityarea for demonstration of extinctmanagement techniques such as seasonalburning.

Development of hard surface paths forpedestrian and bicycle traffic shall beallowed in this area. These paths shall beconsistent with the intent conveyed by theSkinner Butte Park Draft Master Planillustration (see Map 1).

H7: Wet Prairie and StormwaterDemonstration AreaNative wet prairie and wetland ecosystemmanagement shall be a high priority for thisarea. See Unit H6 for native wet prairiehabitat management guidelines. Irrigated,non-native lawn areas will be convertedtowards a functional wet prairie andwetland ecosystem. Irrigation will bediscontinued, and a mowing scheduleappropriate for wet prairie management willbe commenced. Demonstrationstormwater treatment is a high priority usefor existing low areas in this unit. Theseareas are generally reflected in the SkinnerButte Park Draft Master Plan illustration (seeMap 1). Treatment of stormwater fromCheshire Avenue and other street, buildingor parking facilities developed inconjunction with the historic community

farm may be diverted for retention ordetention in this area. Stormwater BMP’s(Best Management Practices) should guidethis demonstration project, and beincorporated with interpretive features,bicycle and pedestrian paths orboardwalks, etc.

H8: Willamette RiverbankNative riparian and riverbank ecosystemmanagement shall be the top priority forthis area. Management should support adynamic, native riparian ecosystemcharacterized by multiple stages ofsuccession for appropriate native plantcommunities. As in other areas, invasivespecies removal and progression towardsgreater diversity and higher habitat valueis a key management goal.

Special appropriate uses include up tothree locations of pedestrian river access,including one location of boat accesscurrently used by emergency vehicles.Automotive access, other than emergencyvehicles, shall not be allowed. Access tothe proposed River Bottom Trail (seeImplementation Plan) shall be restrictedto pedestrian use. Trail access points, re-grading and improvements, including theaddition of several trail connectors linkingthe River Bottom Trail to the bike path, isalso appropriate for this area for visitoraccess, interpretation and management ofvisitor impact.

Many Habitat Unitsallow for hard or softsurface path andtrails for publicaccess

Some areas of wet, little usedand difficult-to-maintain lawn

areas will be converted tonative wet prairie


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H9: Willamette Riverbank ErosionControl AreaStabilizing the riverbank through“bioengineered” solutions is the top priorityfor this area (see Map 8). This ManagementUnit represents an approximate area ofriverbank that may be converted toconstructed riverbank terraces, includingexisting lawn areas and several maturetrees. Management of this area followingbioengineered stabilization andreconstruction of the river bank shouldsupport a dynamic, native riparianecosystem characterized by multiplestages of succession for appropriate nativeplant communities. As in other areas,invasive species removal and progressiontowards greater diversity and higher habitatvalue is a key management goal. Interimmanagement priorities include those listedfor Unit H7.

Special appropriate uses for this areainclude uses related to the bike path asdescribed for Unit H6. Stabilization of theriverbank through rip-rap or other structuralmeans with low ecological value is a lowpriority, but may be allowed in this unit onan emergency basis.

Recreation Units (R1 - R5)

R1: Park CoreManagement supporting a City-wide centerfor individual, family, group and communityrecreation and events is the top priority forthis area. This area will be characterizedby a diversity of uses and recreationalopportunities, bicycle, car and bus parkingfor staging and access to the River BottomTrail, the Skinner Butte trail system, the bikepath, Lamb Cottage, etc. Facilities shallinclude a large, redeveloped children’s playarea, one new, large picnic structure, onenew, small picnic structure, a newamphitheater and stage area, informal turfvolley ball courts, redeveloped pathways,new lighting and park furniture, existinginterpretive features associated with theSkinner’s cabin replica, new interpretivefeatures, a redeveloped existing parking lotand other elements as described in theImplementation Plan. Preferred landscapetypes include irrigated, traditionallymaintained lawn, shrub and perennial bedsfor showy floral display, scent, shade andaesthetic appeal. Native plants should beincorporated in place of non-native varietieswhere their function is similar andappropriate.

R2: Historic Picnic AreaManagement supporting a City-wide centerfor individual, family and group picnickingis the top priority for this area. Managementof the stone walls as a historic resource isalso a focus for this unit. As an importanttransition zone from the North Skinner ButteForest habitat zone to the concentratedhuman activity of the Park Core, preferredlandscape types include irrigated,traditionally maintained lawn bordered bythe semi-formal use of site-appropriatenative plants for floral display, scent andaesthetic appeal.

R3: Overlook AreaManagement supporting a high-qualitycommunity focal point is the top priority forthis area. This unit is characterized by usesand recreational opportunities centeredaround social gathering, community eventsand exhibitions, enjoyment of views,picnicking, interpretive signage, andbicycle, car and bus parking for staging and

A large portion of theriver bank will bereconstructed forhabitat value anderosion control

Unit R1: The Park Core is theactive heart of Skinner ButtePark. Management supportingindividual, family and communityrecreation, social activities andevents is the top priority for thisarea.


access to natural areas and the butte trailsystem. Preferred landscape types includeirrigated, traditionally maintained lawn (ifincluded in detailed renovation plan of area)bordered by the semi-formal or formal useof site-appropriate native plants for floraldisplay, scent and aesthetic appeal.

R4: Skinner Butte Summit UplandPrairie and Recreation AreaThis unit shall include public use of the buttesummit, where a mowed area shall bemaintained throughout the growing seasonto provide picnic and informal recreationspace for uses including large groups andcommunity events. The size of the mowedarea shall be approximately as shown inFigure 3, and may be variable as approvedby the Parks Planning Manager. Nativeupland prairie ecosystem management isa shared priority for this area. See Unit H4for habitat restoration and managementguidelines.

R5: East Skinner Butte ParkManagement supporting communityrecreation, social gathering and events isthe top priority for this area. This unit ischaracterized by uses and recreationalopportunities related to the enjoyment ofthe Willamette River, the bike path, eventsand programming through the CampbellSenior Center, bicycle, car and bus parkingfor staging and access to the River BottomTrail, the Skinner Butte trail system, the bikepath, and the Campbell Senior Center.Preferred landscape types include irrigated,traditionally maintained lawn, shrub andperennial beds for showy floral display,scent, shade and aesthetic appeal. Nativeplants should be incorporated in place ofnon-native varieties where their function issimilar and appropriate.

R6: The ColumnsManagement supporting the use of thisarea for publicly accessible, recreationalrock climbing is the top priority for this area,including maintaining the structural integrityof the rock feature. Safety is a very highpriority, and improvements or measuresrelated to maintaining or improving safetyare appropriate for this and all immediatelysurrounding areas. This unit ischaracterized by recreational rock climbingand supporting needs, such as bicycle andcar parking, benches, seating areas,improved access to the top of the columns,informational and interpretive signage, andas described in the Implementation Plan.Consideration shall be given to the historicnature of the columns, and to conveyinghistoric significance to casual users throughpassive interpretative features.

Recreation Unitsdescribe areas of thepark with a primaryemphasis on humanrecreational andsocial activity

Management supporting a high-quality community focal point is

the top priority for the SkinnerButte summit overlook area


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Special Units (S1 - S5)

S1: Shelton McMurphey JohnsonHouseManagement for a historically intact,publicly accessible historic attraction andfocal point for park history is the top priorityfor this area. The historic home and tax lotare managed and maintained through acooperative City effort and the contractedservices of the Shelton McMurpheyJohnson House Associates (SMJHA).Under contract with the City of EugeneLibrary, Recreation and Cultural ServicesDepartment through the Planning andDevelopment Department’s HistoricPreservation Program, the SMJHA is a not-for-profit organization specifically devisedto manage the daily function ofprogramming and interpretation, andorganizes contracted labor and volunteergroups to maintain the house andsurrounding gardens. The City of EugenePublic Works Facilities division helpsmaintain the infrastructure of the home andassist PDD with management of ongoingrestoration work through the University ofOregon Historic Preservation Program. TheCity of Eugene Parks and Open Spaceparks maintenance operations assist withrepairs to landscape infrastructure such asthe irrigation system. Many other volunteergroups and individuals are also involvedwith the operations and programming of thehouse. This collaborative approach shouldbe continued.

Special consideration should be given tothis area as the “gateway” to Skinner ButtePark from the south. Collaboration with theSMJHA for park-related history,programming and volunteer coordinationis a high priority. Preferred uses includerecreational, social and preservationactivities associated with the house andsurrounding gardens. Improved access tothe house from the 3rd/4th connector, andfrom 3rd Avenue is a high priority. Purchaseof the land between the house and the 3rd/4th connector through grants, donations orother collaborative means for parking andimproved access is recommended. Seethe Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson HouseHistorical Landscape Master Plan for furthersuggestions currently under consideration.

S2: Campbell Senior CenterManagement to support programming andactivities associated with the CampbellSenior Center (CSC) is the top priority forthis area. Current uses include rental offacilities for social events, communityevents, diverse programming such asclasses, dances and senior programming,an information center, a wood shop,bicycle, car and bus parking for staging andaccess to the CSC, the park and the river,and more. Preferred uses include existingand future uses related to the function ofthe CSC, including potential improvementsor expansion of the facility within thismanagement unit.

Preferred landscape types include irrigated,traditionally maintained lawn, shrub andperennial beds for showy floral display,scent, shade and aesthetic appeal. Thisarea is particularly suited to botanicaldisplay of cultivated plant species for theenjoyment and engagement of seniors andlocal horticultural clubs, as well as to createa highly attractive, full-season floral andbotanical display to serve as a backdropfor special social functions such asweddings, graduation ceremonies,retirement celebrations, anniversaries, etc.

S3: Facility Management DivisionThis area should continue to be managedfor use as City offices and shop facilities.This use, although not ideally compatible,provides an important presence thatcontributes to positive use patterns in thepark. Garden areas and grounds aroundthese offices are currently developed in acompatible way with the park, with outdoormeeting areas, native plants and naturalstone. A continuation of this type ofsensitive integration is a high priority. Asan important transition zone from the NorthSkinner Butte Forest Habitat Unit and theUpland Prairie Habitat Unit to theconcentrated human activity of the ParkCore, preferred landscape types includeirrigated semi-formal use of site-appropriate native plants for scent andfloral display. Non-native ornamental plantspecies may be appropriate in front of thefacilities buildings facing the Park CoreRecreation Unit, although native plants areencouraged where their function is similar.

Unit R1: Park Core

Unit R2: Historic Picnic Area

Unit S5: Lincoln Yard

Unit S1: SMJ House

Unit R5: East Skinner Butte Park

Unit R6: Columns Climbing Area


S4: Historic Community FarmManagement for community agriculture,historic interpretation, education andrelated recreational and communityactivities and events is the top priority forthis area. This unit is designated forredevelopment as a key communityattraction celebrating the early agriculturalroots of the community, and is closelylinked to the Skinner’s cabin replica, theApplegate Trail Interpretive Center,interpretive management of the upland andwet prairie in the H7 Management Unit, andstormwater demonstration in the H10Management Unit. A not-for-profitorganization should be sought to developand carry out these functions on acontractual basis, with emphasis on publicbenefit. Both historic and modernagricultural methods, tools and philosophyare key to the function of this area, and tothe role that they play in our community andculture.

Preferred facilities include a shelter or open-air barn structure, redevelopment of theChild Care, Inc. building as a park host site,greenhouses, a produce stand, tool shedsor other storage facilities ancillary to thefunction of the area, a community garden,demonstration gardens, a seasonal rowcrop area, fruit trees, etc. as well as bicycleand car parking for access to the facilitiesand other park features. New or renovatedfacilities, including fences, gates, sitefurniture, lighting, etc., should reflectconstruction techniques and styles of earlysettlers as closely as possible. Facilitiesor ancillary functions may extend towardsthe underpass connection to the OwenRose Garden (see Implementation Plan)to begin creating thematic continuity ofagriculture and horticulture between thetwo areas.

S5: Lincoln YardThis property has accommodated adiversity of uses (see Chapter 2) rangingfrom foundry buildings associated withWPA activities during the depression, toParks Maintenance offices and shop, to thecurrent use as storage, training area andoffices for the Eugene Police Department’sRapid Deployment Unit (RDU). With the

relocation of the RDU to new facilities atRoosevelt Boulevard, this property will likelybe redeveloped for another use. Past usesand development have eliminated mosthabitat values for this area, and acombination of physical factors such astopography and the configuration of theland make it unsuitable for mostrecreational uses.

Although redevelopment for similar City-related facilities is an acceptable option, thepreferred redevelopment uses for this areainclude those most compatible with thepark, such as mixed use or high densityresidential. Commercial components ofmixed use redevelopment may supportpark functions by providing nearby services(such as a cafe or bike rentals) for parkvisitors, whereby high-density residentialredevelopment would be supported by theopen space and recreation available in thepark. Redevelopment should meetcompatibility criteria as follows: buildingsshould be low enough to allowunobstructed views of the City andsurrounding areas from Skinner Butte Loop;the redevelopment should create apleasing transition or gateway to the park;native landscape elements should be usedto blend with the habitat managementareas on Skinner Butte.

Partnering withprivate communityorganizations is oneway to activate thewest end of the park

The historic community farmproposal is viewed as an

appropriate use for the westend of the park.


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Habitat ManagementPlan

Plan DevelopmentGeneral goals and areas affected by theHabitat Management Plan were developedthrough the public involvement process forthe overall Skinner Butte Park Master Plan.These recommendations were refined bytwo meetings of a combined focus groupof citizen stakeholder groups, naturalistsand City staff to tackle the more difficultquestions of habitat and viewshedmanagement in Skinner Butte Park. Manyrecommendations of this group areincorporated into this plan. Many otheraspects are derived from the in-depthhabitat management guidelines put forthby the Hendricks Park Forest ManagementPlan.

Intent and ApplicationThe Habitat Management Plan is acomponent of the Skinner Butte ParkMaster Plan that deals specifically with thepreservation, restoration and maintenanceof native habitats in Skinner Butte Park.Specific recommendations of the HabitatManagement Plan are contained in theImplementation Plan section at the endof this chapter.

Habitat Management UnitsThe Habitat Management Plan is furtherrefined by 10 Habitat Management Unitsas described in the previous section of thischapter. Each unit describes a differenthabitat type with different managementguidelines and restoration needs.

Habitat InventoryA detailed natural resource inventory hasnot been completed for Skinner Butte Park.The Implementation Plan calls for asurvey be conducted for identified HabitatManagement Units, and for habitatrecommendations be drafted that arespecific to those areas. Furthermore,significant areas of Skinner Butte Park arerecommended for major restoration efforts,or conversion from traditionally maintainedpark areas to an approximation of suitable

native habitats such as wet prairie, uplandprairie and oak savanna-prairie. This effortwill require new restoration andmaintenance techniques.

Balanced ApproachAlthough preservation and restoration ofnatural areas in the park is among thehighest priorities, Skinner Butte Park takesa broad focus on recreational needs.Specifically, natural areas must co-existwith areas of higher, concentrated activitysuch as the main picnic area andplayground, the summit overlook area, theCampbell Senior Center, the redevelopedwest end, the EWEB Reservoir, the SheltonMcMurphey Johnson House, and otherareas. The proposed Management Unitsfor Skinner Butte Park help clarify andprioritize this mix of uses.

Public Access a High PriorityPublic education and the celebration ofdiverse native habitats near the downtownarea shall be a primary goal of nativehabitat areas in Skinner Butte Park. Thepark is an excellent place to expand localawareness of native habitat values, andshould be as accessible as possible for thatpurpose. Therefore, generally higher levelsof public use must be anticipated andaccommodated in native habitat areas, andit is likely that special measures will needto be taken to protect them. Suchmeasures may include more passiveinterpretation and public information, aswell as physical improvements such asbetter trails and railings to help keepvisitors on trails and out of specific areas.

Incremental Change and EducationCommunity involvement, interpretation andpublic outreach are seen as critical tolaying the foundation for understanding,acceptance and support for managingcertain habitat types. This is especially truefor managing areas of Skinner Buttetowards open prairie and savanna-prairiehabitats. Examples might include volunteer

Natural areas mustco-exist with areas ofhigher developmentand concentratedactivity in SkinnerButte Park


participation in specific projects,dissemination of information throughvolunteer organizations, interpretivedisplays in areas where work is being done,permanent interpretive displays discussinghistoric vegetation patterns, their function,and changes that have taken over time,tours, articles, etc.

Plan Now but Build in FlexibilityDecisions can and should be made nowthat reflect current opinions and utilizecurrent knowledge. There are severalreasons for this: 1) much information onpublic opinion has been gathered throughthe Skinner Butte Park Master Plan publicinvolvement program that supports thecurrent approach; 2) over the next 20 or soyears, there will not likely be a moreextensive public process to collect this typeof information than what has already beenundertaken; 3) management decisionsaffecting natural areas are made every dayand cannot wait for the possibility of a futureprocess, and; 4) management policies willprovide a base line for decision making thatcan be modified as knowledge and publicopinion changes. Coupled with the

understanding that active management ofnatural areas (including the reversal offorestation in some areas, and themanagement towards native forest in otherareas) will happen over a period of time,built-in flexibility is needed for newinformation to change the course or fine-tune policies set by this master planningprocess.

Recognize a Dynamic System andPlan AccordinglySimilarly, natural areas will change overtime. Active management will be requiredto maintain a certain type of habitat. Areasthat are left alone will transform, throughsuccession, into something else.Management methods explored by theHabitat Inventory should set forthacceptable levels and kinds of change, andallowance should be made for disturbanceevents, such as wind storms, fires, landslides and floods, that define naturalsystems.

Focus on the Preservation of HighQuality HabitatIt was generally understood that restorationand expansion of certain habitat types, inparticular the restoration of upland prairieon Skinner Butte, will need to happen overtime. It is not something that can beaffected in the short-term. To begin theprocess, the focus should be on preservingand protecting the most valuable areas first,then the process of succession can beginto be reversed around the edges of theseareas, expanding the functional habitattowards a future, desired level of coverageon the butte. This desired level is reflectedin Map 7: Habitat Management Units.

Habitat Transition AreasThe edges of the habitat zones, for examplerestored upland prairie, can and should bea dynamic zone. Decisions about theactual extent of habitat types will be fine-tuned on the ground on a project-by-projectbasis. The general area of prairie andsavanna prairie outlined by the HabitatManagement Units, for examle, is meantto serve as a guideline. Particular trees orspecific conditions should inform theprocess of restoring these areas as muchas possible (see “Authorization of TreeRemovals,” this section.

Undefined trails and lack of visitor informationcontribute to erosion and compaction along theriverbank. A clear trail system will help habitatrestoration efforts by focusing user activity in certainareas.

Figure 4a - BAD VFigure 4a - BAD VFigure 4a - BAD VFigure 4a - BAD VFigure 4a - BAD VegetationegetationegetationegetationegetationManagementManagementManagementManagementManagementDense impenetrable tangleLow species diversityMostly invasive plantsLow visibility

Figure 5a - BAD TFigure 5a - BAD TFigure 5a - BAD TFigure 5a - BAD TFigure 5a - BAD Trail Safetyrail Safetyrail Safetyrail Safetyrail SafetyPerceived dangerMore hiding places

Figure 6a - BAD EdgeFigure 6a - BAD EdgeFigure 6a - BAD EdgeFigure 6a - BAD EdgeFigure 6a - BAD EdgeConditionConditionConditionConditionConditionLess edge conditionLess species diversityPoor visibility


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Edge Condition DesirablePromoting edge conditions in habitatrestoration areas is considered acompatible and desirable managementtechnique to achieve both habitat, publicsafety and recreation values. Edges areknown to be areas of high diversity and highwildlife value, and are also reported to beareas where wildlife viewing such as birdingis most successful. Edge conditionstypically describe the transition areabetween different habitat types such asgrasslands and forest. They may alsooccur along roadways or trails, when fallentrees create openings in the forest, oraround small groves of trees in open areas(see Figure 6).

Invasive SpeciesInvasive plant species, as described inearlier chapters, are clearly the greatestthreat to the health of native habitats in thepark. The removal of all invasive speciesfrom habitat units is recommended. Theproposed Habitat Inventory will list invasivespecies in the park and expand on thegeneral approach to removal described inthis plan.

Invasive Species and HabitatFunctionDespite the fact that many animal and birdspecies have adapted to the use of invasiveplant species for forage, cover, etc.,invasive species do not contribute to theoverall health and diversity of a nativehabitat. Most migrating bird populations,for example, do not rely upon or particularlybenefit from non-native sweet cherries asa source of forage due to the timing ofmigrations. In cases where certain specieshave grown locally accustomed to habitatfunctions of invasive species, however, thatfunction may also be provided bycombinations of site-adapted nativespecies (native elderberry and chokecherry,for example). Therefore, the removal of allinvasive species, accompanied by theencouragement or re-planting of nativespecies serving a similar habitat function,is the favored policy where invasive speciesserve apparent habitat functions that aredesirable long-term. It is important to note

that many areas of restored habitat,particularly where invasive species haveconverted one habitat type to another (forexample from open, native prairie to densebrush and emerging forest) will not seek toreplace the habitat function of the invasivespecies, but replace it with a preferredhabitat function in a native ecosystem.

Understory Vegetation andPublic SafetyPublic safety is one key concern related tohabitat restoration, as well as vegetationmanagement in general. Overgrownvegetation is seen as creating potentialhiding places for criminals and illegalcampers that poses a threat to park users.Crime Prevention Through EnvironmentalDesign puts forth recommendations thatinclude clearing dense vegetation andrestricting the height of vegetation in areasused by pedestrians (paths, parking lots,restrooms, etc.). However, wholesaleclearing of vegetation and height limitationsare also viewed as counter to restorationefforts. Some areas of dense vegetationare required by certain species of birds andanimals for cover, nesting and forage. Howcan this apparent conflict be resolved?

Focus on Invasive Species RemovalBy concentrating on eliminating invasivespecies, the question of dense understoryvegetation is much simplified. English ivy,blackberry, Scot’s broom, English hawthornand others contribute greatly to anovergrown, dense and low-diversityunderstory in many areas in the park.Native plant communities, by comparison,tend to be relatively open, with greaterspecies diversity as well as structuraldiversity - i.e. more layers and moreopenings (see Figure 4). By subtractinginvasive species, and encouraging thenatural re-growth of native plantcommunities, much of the affect ofvegetation management for public safetyreasons is achieved.

Diverse, Open Understory for SafetyIndiscriminate removal of the forestunderstory is not a preferred managementoption for public safety (see “PromoteNatural Recovery of Native PlantCommunities” for related remarks).

Figure 4b - GOOD VFigure 4b - GOOD VFigure 4b - GOOD VFigure 4b - GOOD VFigure 4b - GOOD VegetationegetationegetationegetationegetationManagementManagementManagementManagementManagementMany layersHigh species diversityFew invasive plantsGood visibility

Figure 5b - GOOD TFigure 5b - GOOD TFigure 5b - GOOD TFigure 5b - GOOD TFigure 5b - GOOD Trail Safetyrail Safetyrail Safetyrail Safetyrail SafetyPerceived safetyFewer hiding places

Figure 6b - GOOD EdgeFigure 6b - GOOD EdgeFigure 6b - GOOD EdgeFigure 6b - GOOD EdgeFigure 6b - GOOD EdgeConditionConditionConditionConditionConditionMore edge conditionHigher species diversityImproved visibility


Management towards a healthy, diversenative understory is the preferred option,where the vegetation structure is definedby multiple layers, sight lines, openings,etc. (see Figures 4 through 6). In HabitatUnits, reduction of dense vegetation andmaintenance of a generally clear zonebetween 2' and 7' in height within at least10 feet of major trails and travel routes isrecommended (Figure 5).

Clearly, good judgment must be exercisedin interpreting this recommendation. Thepurpose of this recommendation is reducethe perception of dangerous conditionsalong paths and trails in the park’s naturalareas. Legitimate park users will be morelikely to frequent these trails if they feel safe,which in turn should reduce instances ofnegative use.

Restoration Techniques

The “Nudge”ApproachThe “nudge” method is the preferred overallphilosophy for restoration and maintenanceactivities, whereby existing plantcommunities are moved incrementallytowards a more diverse and functionalnative ecosystem through subtractionrestoration and the addition of appropriatespecies. This recognizes that a purelynative ecosystem can not be realisticallymaintained, nor can restoration occurovernight.

Subtraction RestorationSubtraction restoration is the favoredapproach to initiating restoration orconversion of impacted habitats. Throughsubtraction restoration, elements of existinghabitats are slowly subtracted to achievea desired affect. The subtraction can occuron a priority basis, for example with invasivespecies as the first to go. This techniqueis preferred for reversing the effects ofsuccession, and allows progress to bechecked while meeting goals of “softimplementation” (see ViewshedManagement Plan).

Promote Natural Recovery of NativePlant CommunitiesIn areas where invasive species aredominant, and where conversion to uplandprairie is desirable, the appearance ofwholesale clearing during restoration isinevitable before dormant native speciesare able to become established. The“subtraction restoration” approach is notintended to prevent large areas of invasivespecies from being removed. However,plans should be in place at the time ofremoval for restoration over the short term,including erosion control. Generally,restoration experts concur that where anative ecosystem has been taken over byinvasive plants, the native species returnquickly once the invasive species areremoved. For example, local research isshowing a 75% to 80% recovery rate ofnative species following the removal ofdense English ivy cover. Recommendedmethods of aiding native species recoveryinclude planting and scattering native seed,or planting small seedlings or cuttings ofsite-appropriate species.

Bird Migration Overlay ZoneThe shape of the Upland PrairieManagement Unit (H4) expands andconnects the existing prairie remnants onboth the east and west slopes of the butte.Since the key areas for attracting andharboring birds during their migratoryroutes are on the south and north slopesof the butte, these areas are to maintain asignificant, native tree canopy in a roughlyhourglass shape (see Figure 7)). Openings,edges, and large deciduous trees such asmaple, oak and madrone contribute to thefunction of this area for many species ofmigratory birds and recreational birding.This pattern is very general, and there maybe other areas of important bird habitat, orareas that may benefit from enhancementas bird habitat, outside of this overlay thatneed to be considered.

Local researchshows a 75% to 80%recovery rate ofnative plant speciesfollowing theremoval of denseEnglish ivy cover


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Authorization for TreeRemovalsGiven the detail and scope of the new landuse code for tree removals, the master planmust include appropriate provisions forimplementing habitat restoration. Trees arehereby authorized for removal through theHabitat Management Plan section of thismaster plan on an as-needed basis forrestoring habitat in all Habitat ManagementUnits. Decisions about which specific treesshould remain and which should beremoved will be best made on the groundduring the more detailed implementationphase of restoration.

ImplementationThe Implementation Plan recommendsspecific actions related to each HabitatManagement Unit, or to all HabitatManagement Units. Somerecommendations call for projects such asinvasive species removal, tree removal fromprairie restoration areas, etc., while othersinvolve a research component, orcoordination with volunteer groups andnon-profit organizations. The HabitatManagement section of the ImplementationPlan represents the most detailed andapplicable information for implementing theHabitat Management Plan. In addition toprojects listed in the Implementation Plan,projects, funding and partnerships thatsupport the intent of the Habitat Plan, orare compatible with goals outlined for aparticular Management Unit, shall also beencouraged.

ViewshedManagement Plan

Plan DevelopmentGeneral goals and areas affected by theViewshed Management Plan weredeveloped through the public involvementprocess for the Skinner Butte Park MasterPlan. These reommendations were refinedby two meetings of a combined focusgroup of citizen stakeholder groups,naturalists and City staff to tackle the moredifficult questions of habitat and viewshedmanagement in Skinner Butte Park. Manyrecommendations of this group areincorporated into this plan.

Intent and ApplicationThe Viewshed Management Plan is acomponent of the Skinner Butte ParkMaster Plan that deals specifically with thepreservation, restoration and maintenanceof significant views from Skinner Butte.

Views are a Unique Function ofSkinner ButteViews from Skinner Butte are a uniquefunction of the butte with a high communityvalue. Protecting views as a uniquefunction needs to be weighed stronglyagainst other values that are not unique orsite-specific. As a function of the trendsdescribed in Chapters 3 and 4, publiclyaccessible views once common to thisregion are increasingly threatened. It hastherefore become necessary to beginconsidering ways to actively manage themfor long-term public benefit.

Views Must be Considered BothWaysNot only are the views from the butteimportant, but it must be recognized thatthere is, currently and historically, interestin protecting the quality of the views fromdowntown and the surroundingneighborhoods towards the butte.Consideration must be given to restorationmethods and project time lines to insurethat impacts are minimal, and that positiveresults are readily achievable.

Trees may beremoved for habitatrestoration in HabitatUnits

Figure 7:Bird MigrationOverlay Zone

This generally illustrates theoverall pattern of migratory

songbird use of SkinnerButte. A substantial canopyof large native trees should

be preserved in this area (inappropriate Habitat Units)


“Soft” implementationRestoration of views or prairie shouldhappen slowly and carefully in conjunctionwith planting efforts. Implementationshould happen, therefore, in a way thatdoes not dramatically change the characterof the neighborhood. This could beachieved, for example, through organizingimmediate follow-through of restorationefforts where trees and other vegetationneed to be removed. This would lessenthe transition time and show positive resultsquickly. Also, taking small steps withrestoration, one area at a time, wouldsmooth the transition, build consensusaround the success of small areas, andspread maintenance needs out overseveral years.

From a planning standpoint, preserving a“girdle” of mature trees around the baseof the butte where trees currently existwould help screen roads or other featuresand retain the appearance of the butte fromdowntown and neighborhoods. The BirdMigration Overlay Zone (see Figure 7)generally achieves this effect from thesouth.

These recommendations apply equally toviewshed and habitat restoration, or to anyother restoration project that has thepotential to significantly affect the views ofthe butte.

Historic TreesSome trees on the butte have been plantedas part of historic community events, andrepresent the values of the community atthe time. Special consideration should begiven to these trees during restoration ofviews and habitat areas. The importanceof views from the butte and their historic(and pre-historic) cultural function as alookout point against the intrinsic value andhistoric significance of certain trees willneed to be carefully weighed. Clear criteriashould be developed to consider thesealternatives.

Interpretation of Changing ValuesNot only do historic trees have intrinsicvalue, but they are also useful forinterpreting how community values changeover time. The current trend towards treepreservation, and the need to balance itwith other values such as views andrestoration of endangered habitat, tells aninteresting story that would help fostergreater understanding within thecommunity of the issues at stake.Restoration of views and habitat shouldaddress these questions throughinterpretation and community outreach.This applies not only to views, but to thevalue and changing role of certain habitattypes, as well (the disappearance ofsavanna prairie, for example).

Tree ReplacementSome trees that are removed to restorehistoric views may be replaced with smaller,native trees. The decision whether or notto replace a tree may be made based onthe desired condition of a certain area atthe time of restoration. For example, treeremoval in areas for management as prairiemay not be replaced. Trees in denselyforested areas may also not be replacedto increase diversity in the opening left bythe removal. Where savanna prairie isdesired, however, or where views of the

Figure 8: Critical Viewshed Overlay Zone

WESTVIEW

SOUTHEASTVIEW

SOUTHVIEW

GILLE

SP

IE

BIG“E”

Community valuesaffect theappearance ofSkinner Butte


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butte need to be protected or mitigated,appropriate native trees that are not likelyto compromise the views in the future canbe planted as replacements.

Mitigating Undesirable ViewsViews from and towards the butte may alsobe improved through mitigation ofundesirable elements in the views such aspower stations or other utilities, obtrusivesigns, etc. Considering that someundesirable views may change in the future,however, this tool should be exercisedcarefully.

Methodology

Threshold Approach to ViewRestorationThis approach involves setting an objectivebaseline for the level to which views maybe blocked before restoration occurs. Itshall be quantifiable and objective, basedon criteria established through theViewshed Mangement Plan.

Panoramic Views and Specific ViewsDesirable panoramic views include apanorama of downtown Eugene, the southhills, the Cascades, the Coast Range andwest Eugene (see Figure 8 for majorpanoramic viewpoints). In addition, viewsof specific, local features of cultural andnatural interest will be listed forpreservation. Specific views shall include:the Willamette River, the Three Sisters,Spencer Butte, Gillespie Butte, WillametteStreet, the Hilton Hotel, the Hult Center,

Judkin’s Point, the Cuthbert Amphitheater,the University of Oregon, and AutzenStadium. This list may be updated withParks Planning Manager approval.

Base Line ViewsAn acceptable baseline for panoramic andspecific view preservation shall beestablished at the views approximatelypresent in 1990. This means that somerestoration will need to occur now to returnviews to that general condition. Thebaseline should be established through acombination of restoration of existinggeneral views (generally towards whatwould have been expected in 1990) andre-opening of specific views.

Establishing the Base LineA record of the baseline will be set byphotographing panoramic views andspecific views from significant view points(see Figure 8) and calculating the areabetween the tree tops and the horizon (seeFigure 9). Following restoration to baseline(1990) levels, photographs will be takenfrom specific, fixed points (monuments)placed permanently on the butte on anannual or semi-annual basis in a consistent,prescribed manner, and compared to thebaseline. The horizontal and verticallocation of these monuments shall berecorded, and the cameral height aboveground, angle, lens lenght and time of yearshall be established and remain consistentfor all future comparison.

Figure 9: SampleView Threshold

These pictures show how abaseline view might be used

to determine when viewrestoration needs to occur.

Figure 9a could show thebaseline viewshed. Figure 9b

is digitally modified to showhow the views might change

over several years and triggerrestoration efforts.

9a - Hypothetical photo of baseline view (note thatactual baseline view will be taken after views arerestored to approximate 1990 levels)

9b - Hypothetical photo after several years showshow a reduction in the viewshed area would triggerrestoration

View preservationcriteria should bequantifiable andobjective


Restoration ThresholdRestoration efforts will be triggered whenpanoramic views have been blocked frombaseline levels by more than 5%, or whenspecific views are compromised by 25%(See Figure 9).

Preferred View Restoration ApproachThe preferred approach to panoramic viewrestoration is for “framed views”, wherebyselected trees may be removed to restoreportions of the view that will return theoverall view area to below the thresholdlevel of view blockage. Through thistechnique, some trees will continue to growinto the view area, while others will beremoved, maintaining the natural look andinterest of full-crowned trees in the viewforeground. Over time, the view can bemanaged carefully to achieve an aestheticbalance of foreground and backgroundsuitable for casual viewing or photography,painting, etc. Crown pruning is notconsidered an acceptable restoration tool.

Tree Removal Authorization in theCritical Viewshed Overlay ZoneAreas where viewshed restoration will needto occur is estabished by the CriticalViewshed Overlay Zone (Figure 8). All treeswithin these zones are hereby authorizedfor removal through this master plan. TheCritical Viewshed Overlay Zone shall onlyauthorize tree removal specifically for thepurpose of restoring significant panoramicand specific views as described herein andin accordance with the ViewshedManagement Plan methodology. Restraintshall be exercised during viewshedrestoration efforts to maintain anaesthetically pleasing and ecologicallyfunctional landscape within the CriticalViewshed Overlay Zone.

Implementation Plan

IntroductionThe following Implementation Plan(attached spread sheet pages 1- 20)contains the specifics of the master plan,including policy statements, researchprojects, programming suggestions,maintenance recommendations andimprovement projects for all aspects of theSkinner Butte Park Master Plan. Theserecommendations are the culmination ofresearch, public input, review anddiscussion that has contributed to this plan.The Implementation Plan takesprecedence over other less specificdiscussions and recommendation herein.Other components of the master plan(vision, policy goals, etc.) provide aframework for interpreting and applyingthese actions. Policies give added directionfor the Implementation Plan and help clarifyproposals or elements that were notconsidered by this planning processprocess.

This painting by a local artistillustrates the cultural

importance of maintainingviewsheds on Skinner Butte.Today, views of the river are

nearly blocked by the trees inthe foreground.

The ImplementationPlan is a list ofspecific actionsneeded to achievethe vision


BibliographyBibliographyBibliographyBibliographyBibliography

Advanced Marketing Research, Inc., September 2000, Park Mail Out Survey RegardingSkinner Butte Park, survey report for the City of Eugene

Boyd, Robert T. Demographic History, 1774 - 1874. In Handbook of North AmericanIndians, Volume 7: Northwest Coast, edited by Wayne Suttles, pp. 135 - 148.Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

CH2MHILL, June 1998, Riverbank Restoration Project, report prepared for the City ofCorvallis

City of Eugene Parks, July 1989, Recreation and Cultural Services, Eugene Parks andRecreation Plan, City of Eugene

City of Eugene Planning and Development Department, November 1991, DowntownCore Area Historic Context Statement, City of Eugene

City of Eugene Planning and Development Department, 1994, Whiteaker Plan,neighborhood refinement plan for the City of Eugene

City of Eugene Planning and Development Department, April 1996, Eugene Area HistoricContext Statement, City of Eugene

Connoly, Thomas J., February 21, 1999, Before Eugene Skinner: The People of theUpper Willamette Valley Prior to 1846, presented to the Lane County HistoricalSociety

Department of Land Conservation and Development, 1995, Oregon’s Statewide PlanningGoals & Guidelines, State of Oregon

Donovan and Associates and Karen Mirande, September 2001, Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House: A Historic Landscape Master Plan, City of Eugene Planningand Development

Lawrence, Henry W. and Bettman, Anne P., 1982, The Green Guide: Eugene’s NaturalLandscape, Eugene, OR, A. P. Bettman

78

Mackey, Harold, 1974, The Kalapuyans: A sourcebook on the Indians of the WillametteValley, Misssion Mill Museum, Salem, OR

Metropolitan Civic Club, June 1967, Development of Skinner Butte, a research reportpresented to the City of Eugene

North End Scoping Committee, July 1999, North End Scoping Group Final Report, Cityof Eugene Planning and Development

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 1994, Oregon Outdoor Recreation Plan 1994- 1999, State of Oregon,

Pak, Michelle, 1998, Crime Deterrence in Urban Parks, thesis for the Department ofPlanning, Public Policy and Management, Univerisity of Oregon

Reed, David and Associates, January 2000, Hendricks Park Forest Management Plan,City of Eugene Public Works

Ross, Campbell and Wilson, 1993, The Blue Valley, Cresswell Area Historical Society


Appendix A: MapsAppendix A: MapsAppendix A: MapsAppendix A: MapsAppendix A: Maps

80 Appendix A: Maps

For more information, or to order copies ofthe Skinner Butte Park Master Plan,please contact:

City of EugeneParks and Open Space DivisionParks Planning1820 Roosevelt Blvd.Eugene, OR 97402

Phone: 1 (541) 682-4800Fax: 1 (541) 682-4882

Or visit our web site at:www.ci.eugene.or.us/pw/parks

Skinner ButtSkinner ButtSkinner ButtSkinner ButtSkinner Butte Pe Pe Pe Pe ParkarkarkarkarkMastMastMastMastMaster Planer Planer Planer Planer Plan

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