MAY 2, 1992 PUBLIC WORKSHOP SUMMARY AND ATTACHMENTS
Section 6
Bureau of Land Management The Acquisition Process In the mid-1980s, the City of Eugene began a process to resolve apparent conflicts
between industrial and commercial development and the remnants of natural wetlands in west
Eugene. With major funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the City and the
Lane Council of Governments carried out the West Eugene Wetlands Special Area Stndy and published a
Draft Plan in March 1991. Among many other recommendations the Draft Plan proposes the
acquisition of wetlands, lands that are suitable mitigation sites, and uplands along
stream channels that would connect the wetland areas.
In 1991, Congress appropriated funds to the Eugene District of the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) to implement the acquistion phase of the project. BLM procedures allow
for acquisition of private land from willing sellers.
The West Eugene Wetlands Project entails the acquisition and management of wetlands and
other connected open spaces for a variety of public purposes.
The acquired public lands will:
BLM procedures allow for acquisition of private land from willing
sellers. Before
purchase, a site specific evaluation of the property would occur. If the
property includes
wetland resources suitable for protection or restoration, and if the
property is slated
for purchase from a willing seller, an appraisal and a negotiated sales
agreement would be
completed between the owner and the BLM.
West Eugene Wetlands Project
Acquiring Property for Public Purposes
ACQUISITION PHASE
METHODS OF ACQUISITION
PURCHASE ACQUISITION
PROCESS
Initiated by the Landowner or the BLM
Granted by the Landowner
Performed by Natural Resource Specialists
Property Lines Identified by Surveyor
Performed by BLM Specialist
Prepared by BLM Realty Specialist
Inspected by the Landowner and Appraiser
Reviewed by BLM’s State Office Appraiser
BLM Realty Specialist
Landowner
BLM
Reviewed by Department of the Interior Solicitor
Landowner and BLM
BLM
Landowner and Accepted by BLM
Reviewed by Department of the Interior Solicitor
Landowner, BLM and Escrow Agent
The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the balanced management of the public lands and resources and their various values so that they are considered in a combination that will best serve the needs of the American people.
Management is based upon the principles of multiple-use and sustained yield; a combination of uses that takes into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable and non-renewable resources. These resources include recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness and natural, scenic, scientific and cultural values.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
EUGENE DISTRICT
WEST EUGENE WETLANDS PROJECT
751 S. DANEBO
EUGENE, OREGON 97402
503-683-6413
5/1/92
Back to Report 19
Simply stated, wetlands are areas where water exists at or near the
surface of land, in
sufficient amounts and periods of time, to create conditions where only
specially adapted
plants can grow. The abundance of water and plants attracts a wide variety
of wildlife,
providing shelter, food, breeding and nesting areas. These special
conditions results in
an environment equal to tropical rain forests in producing organic
material. The official
state and federal definition of wetlands states:
There are some exceptions to the above definition where human activity,
such as
farming, may have removed the plants. Such areas may still be regulated
state and federal
wetlands, but are not easily identifiable by non-experts. During the past
two years, the
definition of agricultural wetlands has undergone considerable change and
debate. That
debate continues in 1991.
Among wetland types are the following:
SCG:2/91
Source:L-COG,1989
Wetlands are unique areas! What makes them unique is the presence of
water and the
effect the water has on helping to create one of the most productive
ecosystems in the
world. Because wetlands are either covered or saturated with water for at
least part of
the year, soil conditions are created that help produce a wide variety of
plants that are
uniquely adapted to aquatic conditions. Some wetlands are easy to
identify, such as the
area north of Highway 126 by Fern Ridge Reservoir. This site has an
abundance of water and
water-loving plants, such as cattails and willows, that are typically
found in marshy
conditions. There are other types of wetlands that are not as easy to
recognize, such as
the wet prairie grassland areas north of West 11th and west of Danebo
Street.
A site must have the necessary amount of water (hydrology), type of
soil (hydric), and
type and amount of aquatic plants (hydrophytes) before it is considered a
"regulated" wetland by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
More plant life per acre is present in wetlands than in other North
American
environments. Since wetlands are so productive, they provide valuable
habitat for wildlife
and plants and improve water quality by filtering the water passing
through. They control
flooding by providing an outlet for floodwaters. Wetlands also serve as an
educational and
recreational resource for biologists, birdwatchers, hunters and others.
Development in wetlands is regulated to help preserve their important
functional and
biological values. It is estimated that over half of the wetlands in the
United States
which existed at the time of European settlement were lost by 1975, with
many more acres
drained, dredged or filled since then. Federal legislation places some
wetlands under the
joint authority of the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA. This
legislation gives these
federal agencies the responsibility of regulating dredge and fill
activities in certain
wetlands to minimize the amount of wetlands lost to development. The State
of Oregon also
regulates fill and removal activities in wetlands through programs
administered by the
Division of State Lands.
As a result of studies showing the importance of wetlands and their
loss due to
development, the federal Clean Water Act was amended in 1977 to expand the
definition of
wet areas which are regulated. The EPA administers the Act, and through an
interagency
agreement relies on the Army Corps of Engineers to administer the Act's
permit and
enforcement provisions. A 1977 presidential order further defined the
intent of the Act.
Following amendment of the Act, it took time to prepare regulations,
familiarize people
with them and awaken the rest of the country to the increased importance
of wetlands. Most
major wetlands issues were initially based on the east coast. In the
Pacific Northwest,
the Seattle and Portland areas have been leading the way in dealing with
wetland issues.
Locally, wetlands were not an issue during preparation of the
Metropolitan Plan in the
late 1970s. In fact, the National Wetland Inventory of potential wetlands
in Eugene was
not completed until 1983. Awareness of wetlands increased following a 1985
application for
a permit to fill a pond at a local shopping center. By 1987, State
agencies required the
metropolitan area to show an increased commitment to wetland areas. That
commitment is
expressed in a Plan policy stating:
In 1987 work began on updating the areas wetland data base, and the
widespread
existence of wetlands in West Eugene became known. Because there are a
large amount of
wetlands in West Eugene, the Special Area Study process was created to
develop solutions
to wetland concerns.
Wetlands issues are not unique to Eugene or Oregon. Many developers in
the Puget Sound
area must obtain federal wetlands permits in order to develop. The EPA is
supporting
detailed wetland studies throughout the country in order to promote early
identification
of wetland areas and to develop well-planned solutions to wetland issues.
Eugene has
received EPA funding to assist with a portion of the West Eugene Wetland
Special Area
Study.
WHAT ARE WETLANDS?
Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or
groundwater at a
frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal
circumstances do
support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in
saturated soil
conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar
areas.
Three factors are normally required for an area to be considered a
wetland:
Estuarine
This type includes deep water tidal areas and adjacent tidal areas
where ocean and freshwater mix.
Riverine
These include channels or streams of moving water.
Lacustrine
These include flooded lakes and reservoirs, and
Palustrine
These include marshes, swamps, bogs, ponds, and prairies or
wet meadows.
This type also includes forested wetlands dominated by such trees as ash
or willow, and
shrub-scrub wetlands dominated by low brushy wetland plants such as
spiraea.
WHY ARE WETLANDS IMPORTANT?
What is a Wetland?
Why are Wetlands Important?
Why is Wetland Development Regulated?
Why are Wetlands an Issue?
Local governments shall develop policies and local controls for
protection and
management of wetland areas by completion of the next Metro Plan
Update.
