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West Eugene Wetlands Sustainable Management Strategy <br /> Implementation Plan Analysis <br /> January 4, 2010 <br /> Prepared by: Patricia K. Johnston, West Eugene Wetlands Project Manager <br /> In January, 2009, the Eugene District requested the OR /WA State Director to provide appropriate staff and support <br /> to participate in strategic discussions (including OSO briefings) to scope out future alternatives and opportunities <br /> for the WEW program; and assist in the development and implementation of a sustainable management strategy <br /> for the West Eugene Wetlands. • <br /> Mark Brown, Oregon State Office Partnership Coordinator and Patricia K. Johnston, West Eugene Wetlands Project <br /> Manager, were identified as team leads. The overall team includes BLM district, state and Washington staff experts. <br /> The team developed a set of five options that were then evaluated by the Eugene District Management. <br /> The EDO sought OSO support for a refined set of specific strategic options at a November 30, 2009 briefing with the <br /> State Director and OSO. <br /> On December 17, 2009, William Hatton, Siuslaw Field Manager presented to the West Eugene Wetlands Partners <br /> the following Decisions and Direction attributed to the Oregon State Director based on the November 30 briefing: <br /> Decisions and Direction <br /> 1. Do not pursue National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) status. <br /> 2. Pursue local designation (not congressionally designated) of an Outstanding Natural Area for Threatened <br /> and Endangered Species Management attributes. Area of Critical Environmental Concern may be a more <br /> appropriate designation. Research and recommend the most appropriate designation. <br /> 3. Do not pursue BLM funding for, or management of, an Environmental Education Center. <br /> 4. BLM will retain Ownership of the acquired lands within the West Eugene Wetlands. <br /> 5. Explore opportunities to co- manage the West Eugene Wetlands with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. <br /> 6. Explore the opportunity to prepare a coordinated Resource Management Plan for the entire West Eugene <br /> Wetlands (not just BLM ownership). Involve all willing partners. <br /> 7. Prepare a business plan for the West Eugene Wetlands that outlines funding levels. <br /> 8. Scope out the cost of a collaborative Resource Management Plan. <br /> The eight decision points articulated by Field Manager Hatton can be separated for analysis into the following <br /> categories: <br /> Landscape Scale — Collaborative Resource Management Plan <br /> Scope analysis of a collaborative Resources Management Plan on a landscape scale, which will establish goals and <br /> objectives for resource management (desired outcomes) and the measures needed to achieve these goals and <br /> objectives (management actions and allowable uses). Some of the early tasks required are listed below, (sample, <br /> not an exhaustive list): <br /> • Current Partner identification including development of appropriate agreements to participate in planning <br /> effort (cooperative agreements and /or MOUs with all participating groups). There also exists the strong <br /> possibility for cooperating agency status for other government agencies and plan adoption by more than <br /> just the BLM. <br /> • Partnership development with potential partners that would be key to the success of landscape scale <br /> planning effort, including but not limited to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and recognized tribes <br /> that have indicated an interest in participating in WEW, both Confederation of the Siletz and Confederation <br /> of the Grand Ronde Tribes. <br /> Page 1 of 2 <br />