SUMMARY

The planning process began long before the first formal meeting ever took place. Careful consideration of how to prepare the way led to a laying of a strong groundwork for future process. Citizen involvement, and an integration of the visioning process with the scientific data, resulted in a plan with clearly articulated goals and policies and a strong implementation program. 8uch care and attention has resulted in both short and long term multiple benefits to the community. Certainty for future development has been returned by the plan because landowners and developers will know whether wetlands permits are likely to be granted. The permitting process itself has been streamlined, which forms an important basis for future individual permits or for a general type permit that makes permitting more automatic when consistent with the wetland plan. And, ultimately, the community will realize the benefits of a connected system of wetlands and streams that functions as a whole and supports multiple functions and values such as improved water quality, stormwater retention, wildlife habitat, and recreation and educational opportunities.

HOW THE PLAN OBJECTIVES WERE MET

Strategies, approaches and concepts

The success of the plan is due largely to its ability to meet its stated objectives. The strategies, approaches and concepts listed below were significant in achieving that result.

Balance and Compromise: Finding a balance between wetlands protection and development was a main goal of the West Eugene Wetlands Plan. That balance was found based on sound criteria and a rational decision making process. By achieving this compromise, the environmental and development communities, as well as regulatory agencies, found aspects of the plan they could support.

Certainty Returned: The West Eugene Wetlands Plan returns certainty for the property owner, the developer, the environmentalist and the community. Wetlands have been designated to be protected or developed, providing assurances that valuable wetlands will be there in the future, to provide habitat for rare plants and a wide array of animals. Landowners who wish to develop know whether wetlands permits are likely to be granted.

Flexibility: Within a three to five year planning period, change is inevitable. Federal, state and agency rules, court cases, and local elections can change the legislative, political and administrative environment. Additional research, community needs and other factors can also necessitate change. For these reasons, the West Eugene Wetlands Plan is intended to be flexible. Over the life of the plan, amendments may occur in the same manner as any other refinement plan or special area study, as provided for in the amendment procedures of the Eugene Code. These amendments must be consistent with the Metropolitan Plan and must be reviewed by participating agencies, including regulatory, prior to final commission or council action.

Consensus: All key players, including state and federal agencies, citizens, planning commissions and elected officials agreed to finding a balance of wetlands development and protection through the planning process. Because of the level of education, communication, balanced approach and the acquisition program, most of those concerned found the final plan acceptable. Multiple objectives, (see below) also helped gain acceptance.

Multiple Oblectives: The WEWP is a multiple objective water resources plan that includes wetlands and other natural resources protection, stormwater quality, stormwater conveyance, floodplain management, recreation, education and interpretation, open space, research, and economic development. While the plan focuses on a concentration of wetlands, it is also part of an examination of the entire Amazon Creek watershed. Many interests were able to identify with one or more of the multiple values (such as the bike path). This helped gain support and acceptance.

A Hollstic System ot Wetlands Protection: The wetlands planning process enabled the wetlands to be considered as a part of a larger water resources system and the watershed's landscape. The relationship of the wetlands to the drainage basin, stream system, the land use plan and to resources outside the study area was incorporated into the plan. The wetlands system is a part of both the natural and the urban landscape.

Cumulative Impacts: A wetland planning program allows for consideration of cumulaUve impacts and implementation through a system-wide monitoring program. Most individual permits conducted on a case-bycase basis do neither of these things. The wetland planning approach allows for a comprehensive inventory, establishment of goals, a relative rating system for resources in the drainage basin, allows for wetland development and protection decisions to be made in a comprehensive manner, and allows the implementation programs to be coordinated in a way that minimizes overall impacts.

Pooling Resources: The mitigation bank system performs the mitigation requirements for individual users where the details of compensation are pre-planned, constructed and maintained by a public or private non-profit agency. To satisfy individual impact requirements, users simply have to buy mitigation credits from the bank, thus eliminating uncertainty and saving valuable time and resources. The bank is proposed to have sufficient capacity to serve the mitigation needs of the west Eugene wetland study area and the community as a whole.

Stream-lined Permitting: The West Eugene Wetlands Plan and its wetland mitigation bank allow efforts to be planned as a whole, where the most suitable sites are identified, acquired and restored in advance of wetland impact. The concept provides a streamlined permitting program for the development community. The plan can form an important basis for future individual permits or for a general type permit that makes permitting more automatic when consistent with the wetland plan. The bank system performs the mitigation requirements for individual users where the details of compensation are pre-planned, constructed and maintained by a public or private non-profit agency.

Administrative Partnerships: The Wetlands Administrative Group (WAG) will be a partnership of federal and local governments and non-profit organizations who will share management and coordination of west Eugene wetlands. The partnership will agree to jointly assume ownership responsibilities and to share resources, risks, information and technologies. This partnership will enable a more effective and efficient use of available resources.

Citizen Involvement: The public helped craft the solution to a major planning conflict in Eugene. That involvement helped to build trust among all parties. Because they were extensively involved in creating the vision and goals for the wetland system, there was also a great deal learned by the public. Citizens were able to participate in a variety of workshops, field trips, planning sessions, and surveys, and to comment on inventories and proposals.

Improved Information Base: As a result of the planning process, an enormous amount of information about the west Eugene area and Amazon Creek drainage has been generated. We now have more complete inventories about the wetland types that exist, and a wetlands rating system that quantifies the habitat, hydrologic, and other functions of these areas. This improved knowledge has led to better decisions made about the region. Such decisions, while not perfect, are moving in an agreed upon direction.

Overall Plan Approach: The scope of the plan evolved from a narrow focus "solve the wetlands problem" to a comprehensive, multiple objective management plan. The process went through many phases: from its beginnings at the "vision" stage, through the establishment of common goals, research and data gathering, and data analysis, to the development of policy and implementation. The end result is a well managed wetland system which benefits the Eugene and greater communities in a multitude of ways.

Green Infrastructure: Wetlands perform functions that are often related to public works:

• storm conveyance
• flood storage
• trapping sediment
• pollutant removal
• ground water recharge/discharge

When viewed in this context, the Eugene Public Works Department can be viewed as a logical manager in the field of environmental management of "natural" systems. When seen this way, wetland programs may be financed with systems development charges (SDCs) for capital, and sewer user fees for operations and maintenance. Many larger public works departments are hiring environmental specialists to deal with these issues in a way that is non-traditional for many engineers.