New Search
• <br /> training to better understand and serve BLM's needs to perform the rigors of Interdisciplinary Team <br /> participation and NEPA analysis. Partnership capacity of this nature led to the City of Eugene securing <br /> over $1.3 million of Cooperative Conservation Initiative (CCI) funds in 2003 -05. The city hired a 3` <br /> party contractor, supervised the EA development, provided engineering expertise, and implemented <br /> riparian and critical habitat restoration. This helped the State Director meet DOI and BLM National <br /> priorities of cooperative conservation, as well as compliance with the Endangered Species Act. <br /> • <br /> Recreation <br /> Partnership resources are not limited to acquisition and habitat restoration, the City of Eugene, Lane <br /> Council of Government, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) brought together resources to <br /> develop the 2001 WEW Recreation, Access and Environmental Education Plan/EA. Each partner <br /> brought core staff and/or funding. As a result of this plan, Oregon Department of Transportation, City <br /> of Eugene and US Army Corps of Engineers brought the necessary funds to construct the urban bike <br /> path that is now integral to the public's recreational experience in the WEW. It is estimated that 150 <br /> people utilize this path on a daily basis. <br /> In 2009, the BLM funded an upgrade a walking trail to American Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. <br /> BLM did not have sufficient resources to design and construct this improvement. Instead, BLM <br /> provided funding to the City of Eugene through an Assistance Agreement to use the city's engineering <br /> and landscape design team, as well as their contracting staff to execute this project. <br /> USACE, City of Eugene and the BLM have brought together funding to develop and complete the <br /> overarching WEW Interpretive Master Plan. Interpretive site plans and interpretive signage design/text <br /> resulted from this Master Plan. The U.S. Forest Service brought the essential expertise to facilitate these <br /> efforts, through a Forest Service Enterprise Team. <br /> Interpretive signage was installed at Meadowlark Prairie, Tsanchiifin Walk, and the urban bike path <br /> based on these foundational documents. WEW partners paid for and installed WEW site signs <br /> throughout the WEW, to achieve unified identification of partnership lands in a very complicated land <br /> pattern. The partners have also developed enforceable rules that are identical across the landscape to <br /> reinforce and simplify the public's engagement within the WEW Project Area. <br /> Youth Conservation and Environmental Education <br /> The Department of Interior's "Creating a 21 Century Youth Conservation Corps" initiative, currently <br /> projects that BLM will triple its budget, from $2.6 million to $7.6 million in 2010 for BLM to expand <br /> programs for children and families, school -age youth, high school and college -age youth, and also to <br /> recruit and retain youth in natural resource professions. The West Eugene Wetlands project is uniquely <br /> positioned, both geographically and through its unique partnership with Willamette Resources and <br /> Educational Network (WREN) and the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (OYCC) to fulfill the DOI's <br /> youth program initiative in with deep, long lasting impacts for the Bureau of Land Management. <br /> CO- MANAGEMENT WITH USFWS <br /> The strategy team's goal was to explore options for long term sustainability of the WEW. Research and <br /> investigation during the development of the WEW: Background and Options paper reveals that U.S Fish <br /> and Wildlife Service is the best option to consider for co- management of the BLM- administered lands. <br /> A non - traditional approach such as co- management is suggested due to the inherent nature of the WEW <br /> WEW Vision 2009/2010 page 4 <br />