The City carefully manages land and waterways to protect vital ecosystems, maintain water quality, and provide effective flood control. Acquiring and protecting open space and natural areas provides critical habitat as well as recreation for a community that places a high value on the outdoors. Preserving natural and non-renewable resources, and decreasing energy use, emissions and waste are all a part of the way the City works to make Eugene a great place to live now and in the future. Eugene has been honored as a Tree City USA for the last 25 years. Some of the projects the city is involved in are listed in the links in the right hand columns.