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Project Manager would operate as the external contact and liaison on projects proposed in the west <br /> Eugene area that affect BLM administered lands. These changes would increase accountability, <br /> efficiency and provide an effective work environment. <br /> Pros <br /> • This option takes BLM's involvement to the next level of appropriate planning and implementation, <br /> maintaining consistency with FLPMA and NEPA and allows BLM to stay involved in this <br /> nationally recognized project. <br /> • Provides for accountability and efficiency. <br /> • BLM's role in the WEW Partnership brings federal resources to the table. The current <br /> administration's priorities to the environment and environmental education could mean support for <br /> the WEW <br /> Cons <br /> • Additional work would be necessary to acquire funding to support staffing for WEW coordination <br /> with partners. <br /> • An LUP would be necessary to ensure land allocation for different types of projects occurring in the <br /> WEW. • <br /> Option C: Transfer BLM Administered WEW Land Management to USFWS <br /> In the last several years the USFWS has been looking for opportunities to expand Finley Wildlife Refuge. <br /> In March of 2003, a Preliminary Project Proposal was developed for the Coyote Creek addition to the <br /> Finley Wildlife Refuge. As of September, 2004, under the previous administration, this project was denied <br /> by the national director of the USFWS. This potentially contiguous project area lies directly west of the <br /> current BLM administered lands in WEW. In many ways it is a companion project, intended to provide <br /> connectivity between the current WEW and lands managed by the Army Corp of Engineers and Oregon <br /> Department of Fish and Wildlife at Fern Ridge Reservoir. (See West Eugene Wetlands Ownership Map <br /> which shows the original boundary of the 2003 Preliminary Project Proposal for the Coyote Creek addition <br /> to Finley Wildlife Refuge.) <br /> As the USFWS has a strong environmental education and interpretive focus, the education center itself is <br /> appealing. They are interested in the growing Ethnobotany project and the newly emerging Citizen Science <br /> program. <br /> The USFWS has questions about the current condition of the BLM- administered lands and what level of <br /> inventory has been completed, as well as the status of management plans. Initially, USFWS is interested in <br /> a complete plant and wildlife inventories. It is understood that there will be planning requirements to fulfill <br /> if the USFWS wraps the BLM administered lands into a preliminary project proposal. If this option is <br /> pursued, question about any encumbrances on the BLM- administered lands will need to be resolved. <br /> However, since this is a cooperative effort between two Department of Interior agencies, and LWCF comes <br /> into play, encumbrances should be pretty straight forward. <br /> If this option is to be pursued the following would be the next steps and approximately timeline: <br /> 1. USFWS staff is currently completely a large planning effort. The result will be the <br /> Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Finley Wildlife Refuge complex and due to be <br /> completed in July, 2010. Until that time, there is little in the way of USFWS staff time to <br /> dedicate to other projects. <br /> 2. BLM and USFWS should work together to share all inventory information and assess the <br /> planning requirements of a Preliminary Project Proposal. <br /> WEW Background and Options - - <br /> Page 8 - - - - -- <br />