Friends Of Buford Park & Mt Pisgah

OUR MISSION IS TO NURTURE AND RESTORE OUR CONNECTION TO NATURE. OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE: IMPROVING TRAILS AND ENHANCING COMPATIBLE RECREATION; STEWARDING HABITAT AND TRAILS THROUGH VOLUNTEER SERVICE; ADVOCACY FOR LAND RESTORATION; AND SUPPORTING OUR NATIVE PLANT NURSERY, WHICH SUPPLIES KEY NATIVE PLANT MATERIALS FOR HBRA. THE FRIENDS COMBINE THE BEST SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, MOST ADVANCED FIELD TECHNIQUES, AND GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER POWER TO RESTORE AND MAINTAIN RARE HABITATS, AND BUILD AND MAINTAIN TRAILS TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS TO ACCOMMODATE HALF A MILLION HIKERS AND EQUESTRIANS WHO ENJOY THE GREATER MT. PISGAH AREA ANNUALLY. WE HAVE ADVOCATED FOR AND PARTICIPATED IN MORE THAN 1,700 ACRES OF RIVERFRONT LAND ACQUISITIONS, (INCLUDING THE NATURE CONSERVANCY'S 1,305- ACRE WILLAMETTE CONFLUENCE PRESERVE BORDERING BUFORD PARK) WITHIN THE GREATER MT. PISGAH AREA. IN 2015, WE PURCHASED THE 62-ACRE "TURTLE FLATS" PROPERTY AT THE CONFLUENCE. WE PARTNERED WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TO RESTORE RIPARI

WE DESIGN, RAISE FUNDS FOR, IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR HABITAT PROJECTS IN THE MT. PISGAH AREA EITHER ON LANE COUNTY'S HOWARD BUFORD RECREATION AREA (BUFORD PARK) OR ON ADJACENT LANDS. IN 2020, KEY PROJECTS INCLUDED RESTORING 200 ACRES OF FLOODPLAIN AND RIVER HABITATS ON TURTLE FLATS, GLASSBAR ISLAND AND THE WILLAMETTE CONFLUENCE PRESERVE OF THE WILLAMETTE RIVER'S MIDDLE AND COAST FORK CONFLUENCE; IMPROVING AQUATIC HABITATS FOR FISH AND PLANTING NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, GRASSES AND WILDFLOWERS ON 60 ACRES TO RESTORE FIVE HABITAT TYPES; OPERATING A NATIVE PLANT NURSERY THAT PROPAGATES OVER 100 PLANT SPECIES FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS, INCLUDING AREAS DEVASTATED BY WILDFIRE; CLEARING INVASIVE WEEDS AND PLANTING NATIVES FLORA RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE; AND RESTORING RARE OAK SAVANNA AND PRAIRIES.

WE CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF STEWARDSHIP BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITIZENS TO ENHANCE BUFORD PARK'S HABITATS AND TRAILS. IN 2020, WE SUPERVISED SCORES OF VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MANY YOUTH, WHO CONTRIBUTED OVER 9,000 HOURS. VOLUNTEERS PLANNED AND BUILT TRAILS, REMOVED INVASIVE WEEDS, PROPAGATED NATIVE PLANTS, PLANTED NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS, ASSISTED WITH OUTREACH EVENTS, AND PROVIDED BOARD LEADERSHIP. VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE AND SUPPORT ALL OUR PROGRAM AREAS.

FACILITATING COMPATIBLE RECREATION: WORKING WITH LANE COUNTY, WE PLAN, DESIGN AND IMPROVE RECREATIONAL TRAILS ON THE 2200-ACRE BUFORD PARK. WE ALSO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY OF EUGENE AND OTHER ENTITIES TO PLAN REGIONAL CONNECTOR TRAILS TO BUFORD PARK. WE IMPROVED NEARLY A MILE OF QUARRY ROAD TRAIL 5. WE ALSO BUILT A NEW RIVERSIDE CONNECTOR TRAIL, THUS COMPLETING TRAILS 5 & 8 COAST FORK TRAIL PROJECT.