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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels August 19, 2004 Know your Audubons By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings Audubon International is an organization that assists golf course managers and developers maintain some semblance of environmental sensitivity. This stretch of the Bear Creek Greenway along the proposed Billings Ranch Golf Course is considered by some to be important bird and wildlife habitat. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings But according to past Rogue Valley Audubon Society President Pepper Trail, the attempt to achieve Audubon International Gold status by the proposed Billings Golf Course has caused a great deal of confusion. "In the public's mind, when the word Audubon is used most people think of the National Audubon Society or the local Audubon Society chapter," Trail said. "The National Audubon Society is dedicated to conservation, especially birds in their habitat. It is very well known. "In the late '80s, another group came along called Audubon International. The reason they are able to use the Audubon name is they took over an old chapter of Audubon in New York State which dated back the early part of the 20th century. They have no relationship with Audubon Society." Trail said that since a story appeared in the Tidings last week on the Billings Ranch Golf Course and its goal of achieving the Audubon International Gold status, he has had several phone calls from people asking why the Audubon Society opposed the golf course but was now certifying it. "Audubon International is a group that provides environmental certification for golf courses and resorts that meet certain standards," he said. "As far as I can tell, it seems they have a good set of standards and are trying to make sure if these developments happen, they happen in a way that has less impact on the environment than might otherwise be." That said, the local Audubon Society has not endorsed the golf course. Audubon has three main concerns with the golf course, the main one being the use of nine acres of county lands for the course. "The developers have claimed they need county lands in order to complete the golf course to the size they want," he said. "We have got problems with that." Environmentally, the area of the greenway along Bear Creek is a high quality section of wildlife habitat. According to recent surveys, the Ashland segment of the greenway had the highest diversity and variety of birds of any area of riparian habitat in Jackson County. "The developer's criticism of the habitat quality is based on the fact in certain areas there is a lot of non-native vegetation including blackberries and poison hemlock," Trail said. "While it is true that that is not the most ideal form of wildlife habitat out there, that vegetation does provide habitat value for wildlife." According to Trail, blackberries are excellent nesting habitat for many species of birds along the greenway. And he pointed out that poison hemlock provides dense stands that birds use as cover to move from place to place along the creek. Trail said there was a way to effect a compromise that would allow the Billing Ranch Golf Course to use a part of the county land, while keeping an part of that nine-acre parcel habitat. "Within the Billings Ranch property, there was over 16 acres of land the developers decided to use to make a housing subdivision. That land was inside the Ashland city limits. The developers had all the land they needed to make a golf course and then some." Despite the inherent differences in objectives between the two Audubons, Trail believes room for compromise exists. The Audubon Society prefers the open space of a golf course over a housing subdivision. So he has a way to accomplish both the goals of the developer and his group that would allow both sides to keep a piece of the county land. "The only compromise that would be possible with the county land would be looking at that piece of the county land west of the creek," he said. "About half that land is on east side and half on the west side. The Billings property has a corner which extends onto the east side. "So I think it would be an interesting discussion to have to arrange some kind of compromise whereby the land on the west side might be made available to Mr. Billings in return for some meaningful and permanent protection for the Billings land on the east side. That land is very nice quality habitat and would be a wonderful piece of land to protect in some way." Billings Ranch developer Mike Peru said that compromise is not possible. "That west side of the property is under lease," he said. "We have had it under lease ever since we gave them the right to use the trail. I have a lease with a specified golf course use on it." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams