I. INTRODUCTION

There are any number of possible outcomes for the west Eugene area. A few of them are presented at this February 24, 1990 citizen workshop so the broader implications of the West Eugene Wetlands Special Area Study (WEWSAS) can be understood by the community. The purposes of the workshop are:

1. To provide information, particularly the environmental consultant's
1989 work in mapping wetland boundaries and evaluating wetlands functions and values. This information is summarized in Section II, and

2. To provide information on the implications of varying degrees of wetlands protection and development, through scenarios. These scenarios and their implications are presented in Sections III and IV.

This handout and the more detailed materials presented at the workshop will assist citizens in understanding the latest, and most accurate, wetlands information and the wetlands scenarios. More important than the scenarios, are the criteria used in developing them.

There are strong state and federal laws protecting wetlands. This local planning effort was undertaken to assist the community in complying with those laws. Both state and federal wetland laws are accompanied by permitting programs which protect wetlands and allow development in wetlands under certain conditions.

The City of Eugene, with assistance from the Lane Council of Governments (L-COG), is preparing a study to assist property owners, the development community, the environmental community, and interested citizens. Upon adoption, the study will become a plan for balancing environmental protection and development goals within the framework of the state and federal laws. Staff has been working with a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which is comprised of Oregon Division of State Lands (DSL), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) representatives. The TAC is the primary mechanism being used to maintain contact with state and federal weatland interests. This workshop is one in a series intended to develop early local citizen participation in developing that plan, which is scheduled for public release in draft form in July 1990

There are two questionnaires available at the February 24, 1990 workshop, and a copy of each is attached at the end of this document. One allows citizens to comment on individual wetland sites (should they be protected, developed, or some combination, and why). The second allows citizens to comment on the criteria used in preparing the three mapped scenarios. If you wish to comment on more than one wetland site, extra copies of the first questionnaire are available at the workshop, or you can make photocopies of the attached questionnaire. To be Included In the results of the workshop, all questionnaires must be returned to the Lane Council of Governments, 125 E. 8th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon 97401 by Friday, March 16, 1990.