WEST EUGENE, OREGON

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WEST EUGENE, OREGON

• Dedication of the Eastern Gateway
• and the West Eugene Wetlands Plan

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Prepared By

• Brandon Burns
  Eugene-Springfield Metro Partnership Director
• Vern Theis Wetlands Coordinator -
  Department of Public Works
• Daren Pait District Manager of the Bureau of
  Land Management
• Jeremy Laney Governors Preparatory Staff
• Emilie Whitmore Governors Event Coordinator

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Eastern Gateway
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History Behind the Wetlands1987-1990

• Important Dates
• Monies Granted

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History Behind the Wetlands1987-1990

• Important Dates

• 1986 - Metropolitan Plan update work program
  developed takes use of State Law outlining
  environmental protection measures
• 1988 - President Bush stands behind environment
  especially in saving the wetlands
• January 1988 - EPA adopts new set of guidelines
  for determining what classifies as wetlands
  which adds 2,000 acres not already included as
  wetlands
• 1989 - Senate Bill requires inventory of wetlands
• Fall 1990 - Spectra Physics begins construction
  of Phase I

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History Behind the Wetlands1986-1990

• Monies Granted

• 3,800 to the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG)
  for inventorying and evaluating natural resources
  by Land Conservation and Development Commission
• 50,000 to the LCOG for inventory and evaluation
  of what areas are wetlands under defined laws by
  EPA
• 242,000 to Eugene City Council for wetland study
  to be used as national demonstration model by EPA

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History Behind the Wetlands1991-1993

• Important Dates
• Monies Granted
• Awards Received

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History Behind the Wetlands1991-1993

• Important Dates

• March 1991 - Draft of Wetlands Plan Released
• April 1992 - Survey for Endangered Species done
  by Oregon National Heritage Program
• May 1992 - Army Corps of Engineers Amazon
  widening study begins
• August 1992 - West Eugene Wetlands Plan adopted,
  publicly published in December
• 1993 - Plan implementation begins

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History Behind the Wetlands1991-1993

• Monies Granted

• 2.97 million for purchase of wetlands by Federal
  Land and Water Conservation
• 100,000 for LCOG to package program planning for
  demonstrations from the Environmental Protection
  Agency with assistance by the Oregon
  Congressional Delegation
• 1.1 million for bike path construction and
  stream enhancement under ISTEA (Intermodal
  Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) by Oregon
  Department of Transportation

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History Behind the Wetlands1991-1993

• Awards Received

• Steve Gordon - Study Project Manager EPA/Environme
  ntal Law Institutes 1992 National Wetlands
  Protection Award
• Selected as Demonstration Site for the Army Corps
  of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station
• City of Eugene - Oregon League of Cities Award
  for Excellence for West Eugene Wetlands Plan
• City of Eugene and LCOG - Oregon Chapter of
  American Planning Association Award for
  Professional Achievements in Planning

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Companies Mitigating ProjectEugene-Springfield
Metro Area

• Mahlon Sweet Airport
• Power Administration electrical project
• low income housing project
• commercial development NOTE Companies
  paid for 17/19 acres and for every wetland acre
  developed, 1 1/2 acres were enhanced or created.

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Benefits to Eugene-Springfield Metro Area

• Introduced concept of mitigation bank
• Recreational parks promote business influxes
• Existing companies can expand and new companies
  arrive which enhance and create the wetlands

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Mitigation

• Process of mitigation
• The Mitigation Bank
• Benefits of Mitigation Bank - company
  benefits - wetland benefits

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Bureau of Land Managementand the Wetlands

• Land purchasing and restoration
• Financing

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Wetlands Preservation

• What are the wetlands?
• Protection Measures
• Improving Plant and Animal Habitats
• Managing the system
• Benefits of the Wetlands
• A Balanced Plan

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Questions???