Recommendations for
FY 1996 Appropriations

INTRODUCTION

Federal agencies and programs play a key role in Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture's cooperative efforts to protect and improve crucial wetland habitats through non-regulatory conservation strategies.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service own and manage some of the state's most important coastal wetlands. The Corps of Engineers and the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service also provide financial and technical support for a number of wetlands-related conservation efforts.

Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture has identified several projects and programs that deserve special consideration for funding in Fiscal Year 1996. The Joint Venture's recommendations, which are outlined on the following pages, include funding for four ongoing land acquisition projects on the Oregon coast and in the Willamette Valley. Also highlighted are several national programs that provide funding for voluntary, cooperative wetland conservation efforts. These programs help catalyze state and private financial support for wetlands projects and provide important incentives and assistance for land owners who wish to protect or restore wetlands on private lands.

About Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture

Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture is a cooperative effort by private conservation, waterfowl, fisheries and agriculture organizations working with government agencies to protect and restore important wetland habitat. The coalition focuses its efforts on the largest and most important blocks of wetland habitat, promoting cooperation among diverse interests and avoiding involvement in regulatory processes.

The Joint Venture helps put together partnerships for a variety of wetland-related projects, including habitat restoration and enhancement on private and public lands, acquisition of key areas for permanent protection, and development of educational and interpretive programs.

Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture operates with a steering committee made up of representatives of eight private organizations: Defenders of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society, Oregon Duck Hunters Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Waterfowl and Wetlands Assoication, The Nature Conservancy, and The Trust for Public Land.

Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture serves as an umbrella for all Oregon activities related to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, a U.S.-Canada initiative to conserve wetland habitat for waterfowl and other wetlands-dependent fish and wildlife. The North American Plan is carried Out through regional partnership organizations known as "joint ventures."

Pacific Coast Joint Venture

The Pacific Coast Joint Venture, created in 1991, was the first international joint venture established under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The Pacific Coast Joint Venture area includes all of western Oregon, as well as coastal British Columbia, Washington and northern California

This new Joint Venture includes all of central and eastern Oregon and portions of 11 other western states and provinces. Organizational efforts began in 1994, and the Intermountain West Joint Venture will make its formal debut in April 1995.

SUMMARY

PROJECTS

PROGRAMS

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

OREGON COASTAL REFUGES

The proposed additions to the Oregon Coastal Refuges Complex would block up Fish and Wildlife Service ownership in some of the state's most important coastal wetlands. The Siletz Bay and Nestucca Bay refuges protect areas with especially high value for migrating and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds and anadromous fish as well as habitat used by several threatened and endangered species.

Both refuges now have solid land bases thanks to donations of land and acquisitions funded with $750,000 in FY 93 appropriations and $500,000 in FY 95. Negotiations for additional purchases are under way with a number of willing sellers. However, rising land values and heavy development pressure will hamper progress unless funding is provided to continue the acquisition program m FY 96.

SILETZ BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Refuge ownership is expected to total approximately 475 acres by the end of FY 95. These areas include 340 acres of tidal marshes in the delta area where the Siletz River enters the bay and at the mouth of Drift Creek; 100 acres of bottomland along Drift Creek; and a 35-acre headland overlooking the mouth of Schooner Creek.

Targets for acquisition in FY 96 include additional lands along lower Drift Creek and at the upper end of the Siletz River's delta. Much of the area proposed for acquisition is diked pasture land with high potential for restoration to tidal wetlands.

Established in 1991, Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge plays a major role in protecting ecological values in one of the most rapidly developing parts of the Oregon coast. The refuge's current land protection plan encompasses about 800 acres of tidal marsh, freshwater wetlands and uplands around the lower ends of Siletz Bay's three major tributaries, the Siletz River and Drift and Schooner Creeks. The refuge's proposed boundaries also include 1,060 acres of state-owned tidelands in the bay and the northern half-mile of the sandspit that separates Siletz Bay from the ocean.

Siletz Bay's size and the diversity of habitats it provides makes it an important area for a broad range of fish and wildlife species. Migratory waterfowl and shorebirds make heavy use of mudflats and eelgrass beds, and the Siletz River has historically been one of the state's most important producers of salmon and steelhead.

Drift Creek is designated as a "key watershed" under the Clinton forest plan's aquatic conservation strategy to protect at-risk stocks of salmon and steelhead. Continued acquisition of lands along lower Drift Creek for addition to Siletz Bay NWR will open up opportunities for habitat restoration in a critical portion of the watershed.

Siletz Bay is used by several threatened and endangered species, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons and California brown pelicans. The western snowy plover, a candidate species for federal listing, historically nested on the Siletz spit and may be able to return through refuge management.

NESTUCCA BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

The Cannery Hill headlands overlooking the bay and an area heavily used by Aleutian Canada geese are top priorities in FY 96 for addition to this important refuge in Tillamook County.

Current refuge ownership includes 370 acres on Cannery Hill and around the south end of the bay. An additional 57 acres of salt marsh on the north end of the Bay are being purchased this year.

Established in 1991 primarily to protect wintering habitat for Aleutian and dusky Canada geese, the Nestucca Bay refuge's proposed boundaries encompass a wide variety of habitats, ranging from intensively managed dairy pastures to thick forests and rich tidal wetlands.

Substantial portions of the refuge area are covered by a cooperative agreement between dairy operators and the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is aimed at maintaining the short-grass pastures used by wintering geese in private ownership wherever feasible. However, several owners of agricultural lands have recently expressed interest in selling to the government, and refuge managers say the properties have high potential for restoration of wetlands and enhancement of other wildlife habitat values.

Nestucca Bay is the only known wintering area outside of California's Central Valley for the endangered Aleutian Canada goose and one of only two wintering areas on the Oregon coast for the sensitive dusky Canada goose. The area attracts a wide variety of other wintering waterfowl. Bald eagles and peregrine falcons are present. The estuary provides crucial habitat for some of the Oregon coast's most important salmon and steelhead runs. The Upper Nestucca River is designated as a "key watershed" for protection of at-risk salmon and steelhead stocks in the Clinton forest plan proposals.

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

The proposed additions to this unique suburban refuge would build on the core properties assembled over the past three years and lay the groundwork for a major effort to restore wetlands and riparian habitats on the Tualatin River's floodplain.

The refuge enjoys strong local support from the cities of Sherwood and Tualatin and Metro, Portland's regional government. The agricultural lands along the river represent one of the few large blocks of open space in one of the most rapidly growing parts of the metropolitan area. Although heavily modified by human uses, these lands provide important habitat for wintering and migratory waterfowl and shorebirds and a variety of other fish and wildlife.

Acquisitions during FY 95 will secure a key 450-acre block in the heart of the refuge with high potential for both habitat restoration and public use and environmental education. FY 96 funding would be used to expand refuge ownership around that large block and within the nearby Rock Creek corridor to the south.

TUALATIN RIVER NWR

Just 15 miles from downtown Portland, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge offers a unique opportunity to restore and enhance an important wildlife habitat while providing urban residents first-hand experience and education about ecosystems and biodiversity.

What began as a grassroots movement organized by the City of Sherwood and local residents has began to take shape as one of the nation's premiere urban wildlife refuges. The refuge's proposed boundaries encompass 10 miles of the meandering Tualatin River and more than 3,000 acres of the river's historic floodplain.

Established with an initial 12-acre donation, the refuge received a S2 million appropriation in FY 94 that allowed acquisition of an additional 206 acres. With $2.5 million in FY 95 funding, the Fish and Wildlife Service is in the process of acquiring another 447 acres. An appropriation of $3.5 million in FY 96 would allow acquisition of approximately 500 acres more, for a total of 1,175 acres.

Traditionally an important area for wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds, the area's value for regional biodiversity has been magnified by the conversion of surrounding areas to residential and commercial development. Drainage of historic wetlands and clearing of the bottomland forests for agriculture have dramatically altered the area's natural habitats, but the lands within the refuge boundaries represent one of the last large blocks of open space in the Portland metropolitan area. Habitat restoration

and enhancement would dramatically increase the refuge's value for fish and wildlife, and development of appropriate facilities could make the refuge a regional center for environmental education.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

NEW RIVER ACEC

Funds would be used to acquire land and conservation easements along the New River estuary in Coos and Curry counties. Designated an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" by the Bureau of Land Management, the New River area is a mosaic of freshwater and estuarine wetlands, sand dunes, coastal forest and agricultural lands. Its diverse mix of habitats supports a rich array of wildlife, including important native salmon runs and several threatened and endangered species.

The proposed acquisitions and related land exchanges would block up BLM ownership along the New River estuary in a nine-mile strip between Floras Lake State Park and Bandon State Park. Conservation easements would be used to protect sensitive resources on private ranch lands within the ACEC.

NEW RIVER ACEC

The Bureau of land Management needs additional funds in FY 96 to continue a major effort to secure protection for sensitive lands within the New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

BLM's current holdings include approximately 1,065 acres in the area, and the agency is actively attempting to purchase additional lands with funds remaining from a $3 million appropriation in FY 91. Those funds are expected to be exhausted this year, and additional money will be needed to complete acquisition of key parcels and conservation easements.

The New River area's unique mix of wildlife, fisheries, botanical and cultural resources comprises an ecosystem of exceptional diversity and ecological value. The estuary extends eight miles along the Coos and Curry county coast, separated from the Pacific Ocean by only a narrow strip of sand dunes. The low sandy terrain east of the river features a mix of freshwater wetlands, ditched and drained pastures, dunes and coastal forests.

The area provides habitat for a half-dozen federally listed threatened or endangered species, including critical habitat for the Aleutian Canada goose and western snowy plover. The New River supports significant runs of native chinook salmon and steelhead. The area receives heavy use by wintering waterfowl, and several species (including the Aleutian geese) use it as a major staging area during fall and winter migrations.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

WEST EUGENE WETLANDS

($1,000,000)

The Bureau of Land Management's land acquisition program is a critical element in an innovative strategy to balance wetland conservation and development in an urban fringe area that supports some of the last remnants of the Willamette Valley's native wet prairie.

By the end of FY 95, the West Eugene Wetlands Program's partners will have secured about 1,500 acres of what could eventually be a 4,500-acre reserve linking wetlands in the Amazon Creek watershed with the state's Fern Ridge Wildlife Area to the west.

The program is a cooperative effort involving BLM, the City of Eugene, Lane Council of Governments, Lane County and The Nature Conservancy, and a variety of other federal and state agencies.

WEST EUGENE WETLANDS PROJECT

The wetland reserve being assembled by partners in the West Eugene Wetlands Program is a key part of a comprehensive wetland conservation plan put together by local governments to resolve development conflicts that emerged in the mid-1980s.

Over the past four years, BLM has received appropriations totaling $4.47 million to help implement the program. BLM acquisitions to date total more than 500 acres, with additional properties likely to be acquired later this year. Project partners have begun restoration efforts in several areas and are planning several major projects within the next few years.

One of the few areas left in the Willamette Valley with significant examples of native wet prairie, the West Eugene lands provide critical habitat for a number of rare and endangered plant species. The area's wetlands also provide important migratory, wintering and breeding habitat for a wide variety of waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds as well as the western pond turtle.

The West Eugene Wetlands Project will link a network of protected areas in the Amazon and Willow Creek watershed with the 1 8,000-acre Fern Ridge reservoir and wildlife area. The combination will create one of the largest blocks of habitat in western Oregon and help maintain the area's value as a key element of the Pacific Flyway.

NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT PLAN - - JOINT VENTURE COORDINATION

The Fish and Wildlife Service plays a lead role in coordinating U.S. activities under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. However, the budget has never included funding for the Pacific Coast Joint Venture, the organization created to pursue the North American Plan's goals in coastal British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California, or the Intermountain West Joint Venture, which encompasses parts of 11 western states. The proposed add-on would cover the Fish and Wildlife Service's coordination costs for the Pacific Coast Joint Venture, allow FWS to play a more active role in the Intermountain West Joint Venture, and provide "seed money" for cooperative wetland restoration and enhancement projects.

JOINT VENTURE FUNDING

Unlike the original seven regional joint ventures established to carry out the North American Plan, the Pacific Coast and Intermountain West Joint Ventures have never been allocated funding through the Fish and Wildlife Service's budget. The agency's Region 1 office has used part of the money allocated for California's Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture and other aIready-underfunded refuge programs to pay for its Pacific Coast Joint Venture coordinator's position. Together with other federal, state and private partners in the Joint Venture, the Fish and Wildlife Service's Region I also contributes support for part-time state coordinators in Oregon and Washington. However, lack of funding has forced the Service to limit its role in the Intermountain West Joint Venture.

The Joint Ventures' emphasis on cooperative efforts requires extensive coordination among participating agencies and private organizations. Additional funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service would enhance coordination and allow the agency to provide "seed money" for cooperative wetlands restoration and enhancement projects. (Small grants made available in the past typically attracted matching funds at rates of more than 4:1, substantially multiplying their effectiveness.) The proposed $250,000 budget add-on would give the Fish and Wildlife Service the resources necessary to address those needs.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM

USDA's Wetlands Reserve Program, administered by the Natural Resource Conservation Service, has the potential to become a major contributor to wetlands restoration efforts both in Oregon and nationwide. The program pays landowners to take current and former wetlands out of commodity production and restore wetland habitat values.

Popular with private landowners, the program was initiated on a pilot basis in 1992 and expanded to Oregon and 19 other states in 1994. Oregon landowners received $1 million in 1994 for conservation easements and restoration on almost 2,000 acres of wetlands in southeastern Oregon. Another $ 1 million has been allocated to Oregon this year to fund additional applications from 1994, and a new round of applications will open up in late May for 1995 funds totaling $93 million nationwide.

The President's budget for FY 96 ($210 million) would fund a major expansion of the Wetlands Reserve Program.

WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM IN OREGON

A two-week sign-up for the Wetlands Reserve Program in 1994 attracted applications from 60 landowners in Oregon seeking to enroll 15,000 acres. After the initial review, Oregon received an allocation of $1 million, which was used for easements and restoration on 1,974 acres of wetlands in Lake and Harney counties. NRCS officials allocated Oregon an additional $1 million in early 1995 to fund additional proposals from the 1994 round of applications. A new round of applications will be solicited over a month-long period beginning in late May.

Because it only applies to lands used for commodity crop production, the Wetlands Reserve Program has limited potential in coastal areas, where agriculture is primarily limited to grazing and dairy production. However, the program has substantial potential for restoration of wetlands in the Willamette Valley and central and eastern Oregon, where the vast majority of wetlands are in private ownership. Lands included within a Joint Venture area get a higher rating under the program’s evaluation system, and all of Oregon is now covered under the Pacific Coast and Intermountain West Joint Ventures.