The Community of Eugene, Oregon
Located in the fertile Willamette Valley between the Oregon Coast Range and the Cascade mountains, Eugene is home to more than 130,000 people, making it Oregon's second largest city. Douglas Fir forests border the city on three sides and account for its past reputation as a lumber town. Recent emphasis on sustainable forests and a reduction in allowable timber cuts, required Eugene to diversify its economy. Now software design, health care, and biotechnology take their place along with secondary wood products in providing a healthy economy and job market. Eugene is also home to several public and private institutions of higher education, most notable is the University of Oregon.

The Willamette River flows on a diagonal course through the center of the city and is joined by the McKenzie River to the north. Four bike/pedestrian-only bridges create access to many square miles of park enjoyed by walkers, joggers, bikers, and roller-bladers.

The Kalapuya Indians were the first people to live in the Willamette Valley, occupying the area for several centuries. A hunting and gathering people, the Kalapuya frequently burned the grasses of the valley to clear brush and provide a better habitat for the game and vegetation they depended on for food. By the time the first white settlers arrived in the mid-1840's, the valley was an open grassy prairie with isolated evergreens and deciduous trees.