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fabric affecting the health of area waterways. This baseline data work will represent a <br /> major share of study work and costs in the FY 04 -05. We expect to complete—or make <br /> substantial progress toward completion of—our baseline work in this timeframe. As with <br /> the specific planning parameters ( #1 above), this information is a foundation for <br /> assessing and formulating alternative answers to the issues /problems the study seeks to <br /> address; it too is revisited as study discoveries /needs dictate. <br /> 3. We will begin generating alternative plans. To a large degree, this work must await <br /> and be based on the planning parameters ( #1 above) and the baseline conditions ( #2 <br /> above). But in the meantime, we will be able to begin development of the tools we need <br /> to create and choose among alternatives – the performance measures, criteria/screens, <br /> models, expectations of outputs, and other decision - making tools we need. Once we are <br /> informed by the work above, we will use these tools to then create alternatives, and in <br /> turn characterize the likely performance of any given alternative. Following initial <br /> evaluations, further concept level physical designs may be prepared, refined, and pushed <br /> forward toward more detailed applications of engineering and design tests. Watershed - <br /> based concepts will be formulated as alternatives as well (differing in scale, type and <br /> combination), in expectation of assembling an eventual framework of solutions /project <br /> ideas. In two years time, progress on this step of the planning process is expected to be <br /> significant, but is contingent upon findings and limitations from the earlier steps. <br /> 4. Alternative project plans (whether detailed plans for immediate implementation or <br /> concepts throughout the watershed) will be evaluated for effectiveness, efficiency, <br /> completeness and acceptability. The impacts (outputs, benefits, costs) of alternative plans <br /> will be evaluated using the system of accounts specified in Corps planning guidance. As <br /> with step #3, progress on this step in two years is highly contingent on other progress and <br /> findings. <br /> 5. Alternative plans will be compared. A cost effectiveness and incremental cost analysis, <br /> applied in combination with pertinent developed criteria ( #2 above), will be conducted to <br /> prioritize and rank plan alternatives. Here too, in looking ahead two years, progress into <br /> this stage of planning is highly contingent on previous work progress. <br /> (The public involvement program will be used to obtain public input throughout the <br /> entire process described in steps 1 -5 above.) <br /> 6. One or more plan alternatives will be selected for recommendation for implementation, <br /> and a justification for the plan selection will be prepared. For this study, this final <br /> selected "plan" will be multi -part: including all chosen projects, management solutions, <br /> watershed -based concepts for future implementations, or any other strategies - no matter <br /> how implementations may be recommended to occur. As with steps 1 -5 above, the <br /> public involvement process will be used to gain input throughout this plan selection - <br /> recommendation process. <br /> Finally, throughout our work we will systematically document our process, results and <br /> the study's findings, in preparation for eventually compiling the entire study findings into <br /> 5 <br />