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rroject IEP City of Eugene - Hatmaker- Johnston <br /> Project IEP: The Interpretive and Educational Elan for the West Eugene Wetlands <br /> Abstract <br /> The City of Eugene requests $128,000 to plan, develop and evaluate an Interpretive and Educational Plan (IEP) for a <br /> nationally recognized wetland program in Eugene, Oregon. The West Eugene Wetlands program is aligned with the West " <br /> Eugene Wetlands Plan (1992), a successful, multiple - objective wetland protection program that is a national model. City <br /> of Eugene staff and collaborating partners developed Project IEP, a 12 -month project, in accordance with the philosophy <br /> and goals of the 1992 Wetland plan which initially grew out of a formal partnership between the City of Eugene, The <br /> Nature Conservancy, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Oregon Youth Conservation <br /> Corps. This partnership has expanded to include plant and bird societies, service and educational institutions and citizens. <br /> The mission of the partnership is to construct a Wetland Education Center in West Eugene by 2005, along with a <br /> comprehensive environmental education program and associated outdoor facilities. Project IEP provides funding needed <br /> to plan, develop and evaluate an Interpretive Plan, architectural renderings, cost estimates and a model of the education <br /> center and outdoor facilities, educational materials, a business plan and marketing tools. (See Appendix A for a Summary <br /> and Highlights of the West Eugene Wetlands Project.) Why the Project is needed: The West Eugene Wetlands (WEW) <br /> Partnership manages 2500 acres of public wetland/open space, encompassing some of the last remaining one percent of <br /> rare Willamette Valley wet prairie. Conservation of this area is crucial, thus justifying funds to support public awareness, <br /> education, and community involvement in order to gain community support to restore this critical area to its original state. <br /> The four primary goals of the WEW Partnership are to: (a) promote public awareness of wetland concepts, benefits, <br /> and unique features; (b) promote diverse educational opportunities and outdoor experiences for adults and children in key <br /> areas of interest; (c) encourage public involvement in restoration efforts and in helping to conserve the function, natural <br /> beauty and wildlife in the area and (d) gamer financial support through the development of a viable business plan and <br /> effective marketing tools. Six specific objectives addressed under Project IEP are to: (a) prepare architectural <br /> renderings, models and cost estimates of the outdoor wetland facilities and future education center, (b) prepare an <br /> interpretive plan and business plan to guide education and marketing; (c) develop interpretive and educational materials <br /> and marketing tools; (d) develop educational themes that unify materials, signs and interpretation; (e) develop educational <br /> training materials for use with docents; and (f) conduct project and program evaluation. Expected outcomes include: <br /> (a) completed architectural renderings, models and cost estimates needed in the planning stages of the future Wetland <br /> Educational Center, (b) completed interpretive and business plans; (c) interpretive and educational materials to promote <br /> awareness of unique targeted areas; (d) unified themes for interpretive signs, materials and exhibits to promote interest in <br /> the wetlands and adjacent uplands, plus marketing tools to garner financial support; (e) site - specific training materials to <br /> aid docents in teaching education groups at the Wetland Education cite; and (f) evaluation of IEP process and products. <br /> 1 <br />