About Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah
Our Mission: To protect and enhance native ecosystems and compatible recreation in the Mt. Pisgah area.
Founded in 1989, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, a non-profit 501(c)(3), is the only organization with the mission and expertise to conserve the Mt. Pisgah area's incredible botanical, wildlife and recreational values.
Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah mobilizes funding, expertise and volunteer resources to conserve and enhance the botanical, fish, wildlife and recreational values on Buford Park and other nearby public lands. View our 2008 Annual Report.
Since 2000, FBP has raised and invested over $1.8 million in habitat and trail projects, plus volunteer contributions valued at $500,000 annually. We restore floodplain, wetland, and upland forest and prairie habitats; operate a native plant nursery; advocate for park land acquisition; assist Lane County with trail planning and construction; and educate park visitors and the public about important wildlife, botanical and recreational assets of the Mt. Pisgah area. In partnership with The Nature Conservancy, we are leading efforts to acquire an outstanding adjacent 1,200-acre parcel with six miles of river frontage.
Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah has a successful track record of implementing large, regionally significant habitat projects on and near Buford Park. For example, we:
- propagate over 80 native species in our native plant nursery,
- restored flows to floodplain side channels that had been blocked by human obstructions, such as road fill and an Army Corps of Engineers levee;
- created seasonal backwater habitat to benefit salmonids and other aquatic species;
- planted 70 floodplain acres with native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers; and
- facilitated prescribed burns and native seeding on 30 acres of prairie and oak savanna;
Board of Directors:
- Brian Millington, President
- Chandra LeGue, Vice President
- Ken Persinger, Treasurer
- Chris Jones, Secretary
- Tim Hooton
- James Nelson
- Bruce Newhouse
- Chris Orsinger, Executive Director (Ex officio non-voting board member)
- Kevin McGraw, Former President (Ex officio non-voting board member)
Advisory Council:
- Don and Dolly Woolley, Co-Chairs
- Thomas and Sara Bascom
- Carl and Jill Burgdorfer
- Roscoe Divine
- David Funk
- Jim Ginger
- Deborah Noble
- George Rode
Volunteer Committees:
- Outreach & Development, Chandra LeGue, Chair
- Trails, James Nelson, Chair
- Stewardship Technical Advisory Committee, Bruce Newhouse, Chair
Community Support Includes:
- More than 500 donors and members
- Over 500 volunteers, (such as secondary and college students, scientists, businesses, conservation and educational groups)
- Private foundations and grants
- Federal and state grants
- Contracts for habitat services
- Corporate support, (such as REI, Weyerhaeuser, Symantec and US Bank)
- Eugene, Creswell and Springfield School Districts
Federal and State Agency Supporters:
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
- Bonneville Power Administration
Managed by an Experienced Staff:
- Executive Director, Chris Orsinger, since 1989
- Stewardship Coordinator, Jason Blazar, since1999
- Stewardship Assistant, Hal Hushbeck, since 2001
- Volunteer Coordinator, Val Rogers, since 2002
- Office/Fiscal Manager, Sara Lausmann, since 2007
- Stewardship Crew, John Corkery, since 2005
- Stewardship Crew, Kurt Kamin, since 2003
- Stewardship Crew, Jorge Penafiel, since 2008
- Stewardship Crew, Stewart Aubel, since 2009
Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah's Vision:
To continue to steward the Mt. Pisgah area over the next five years, we need to:
- Fulfill the original park plan and acquire the adjacent 1,200-acre Wildish lands which contain the confluence area of the Middle and Coast Forks of the Willamette River,
- Establish a stewardship endowment to care for the park
Working to Increase our Efforts:
With support from a $250,000 Meyer Memorial Trust grant and our donors, we are launching a five-year capacity building project to:
- Increase awareness of park values and our programs
- Broaden support from individuals
- Build an endowment to steward an expanded park
- Be prepared to lead a potential capital campaign to invest the community in the Wildish land acquisition
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