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which is demonstrated in the Department of Interior's "Creating a 2010 Youth Conservation Corp," which <br /> identifies a 3 fold increase in funding for environmental education programs within the BLM nationwide. <br /> The DOI's 2010 budget initiative identifies a three- pronged approach to: <br /> • Engage youth in public service. <br /> • Enhance science -based programs offered through schools and community partners. <br /> • Improve curricula of national environmental education programs. <br /> Increased BLM support would be most effective in the following three areas: <br /> 1. Dedicated funding, that allows the WEW federally managed lands to receive appropriate, but <br /> minimum attention in lean years and be strategically positioned when federally funded projects are <br /> more expansive. <br /> 2. Development of a Land Use Plan for the West Eugene Wetlands, on a landscape scale, that includes <br /> the WEW Partners and interested public. BLM would need to be consistent with FACA rules as <br /> they apply to such a process. Due to the nature of the WEW project, a holistic landscape scale <br /> approach would be key to BLM's success and would build stakeholder support for the WEW <br /> project. A successful public process model to consider is the 2007 work done with focus groups <br /> when resolving conflicts and planning the WEW Education Center. This project modeled <br /> consensus- building decision making, which will have long lasting support. <br /> A LUP would serve as an amendment to the existing RMP and provide BLM with the ability to: <br /> a. Resolve issues and balance competing interests and uses of the BLM administered lands; <br /> b. Allow for Special Management Area designations to be fully explored and appropriately <br /> applied; <br /> c. Provide a framework to develop annual activity plans that are balanced and represents an <br /> overall approach to all aspects of the WEW Project and guide a long term staffing plan, <br /> operations and management budgeting; and <br /> d. Provide clear and concise objectives and expectations that can be conveyed to the <br /> community at large. <br /> The BLM currently has the following plans in place. <br /> • WEW Recreation, Access and Environmental Education Plan/EA. <br /> • 10 Year Schedule EA, which provides a framework for restoration related to the upland and <br /> wet prairie plant communities. <br /> • Ethnobotany Strategic Plan. <br /> • USFWS's Draft Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern <br /> Washington ", which provides recovery action for the four listed species in the WEW. <br /> Coordination was cursory in the development of these four plans and often they cover the same <br /> footprints on the land. A Land Use Plan is needed to bring coordination to all the different activities <br /> occurring in the WEW. <br /> 3. Maintain continuity of staffing commitments in the WEW, but restructure to provide a model for <br /> accountability and consistency. Revisit and examine the original model for WEW management, <br /> which included an FTE Project Manager to oversee and being accountable for all WEW activities. <br /> This includes the coordination of all work, annual work plan and operations budget development, <br /> coordination with Field Manager and Eugene District Office staff, as well as providing a lead and <br /> point person for all special projects, including NEPA processes and land use planning. The WEW <br /> WEW Background and Options Page 7 ------ - - — -- <br />