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<br /> - ~ , <br /> 2 <br /> or street parking. I understand the current road easement is 40'. LTD is proposing a road <br /> bed that includes three lanes, maintaining a through street for traffic and a dedicated lane <br /> or two for EmX. <br /> BLM's concern regarding this alignment is that LTD will need a wider road width than <br /> the current easement for Stewart Road. There is BLM land on both sides of Stewart Road <br /> and-these parcels were purchased through the use of Land and Water Conservation Funds <br /> (LWCF). <br /> As you may know this funding source was created by the US Congress in 1964 (P.L. 88- <br /> 578) authorizing purchase of land deemed important to the conservation of, among other <br /> things, habitat for threatened or endangered species. This act, requires that, absent <br /> approval by the Secretary of Interior, "property acquired or developed with-the assistance <br /> of this fund shall not be converted to other than the purposes for which it was acquired." <br /> Further, it is the policy of BLM that disposal ofLWCF-acquired land and interest in land <br /> ~ , <br /> is prohibited. <br /> Based on the presentation at the public. meeting, it is not clear what additional impacts <br /> EmX would have on the wetlands, wildlife, or .associated recreation. <br /> Amazon Channel Alternative <br /> BLM has expressed concerns over the Amazon Channel route and potential impacts to <br /> the Gudu kut Natural. Area. As you may know BLM holds a conservation easement for <br /> this parcel which was purchased using the LWCF program. The City of Eugene holds fee <br /> title to this property. It is along the east side of City View Street, south of West 11~', tax <br /> lot 17-04-3633-202. There were no sketch level designs or an' actual alignment of the <br /> proposed Amazon Channel EmX route available at the public meeting. <br /> In a conversation at the public meeting, Ms. Johnston was led to believe that one possible <br /> solution to avoid the Gudu kut Natural Area with EmX, is to have EmX use the current <br /> bike path alignment on the north side of the channel, leaving the bike path to be <br /> reconstructed on the south side of the channel, at the Gudu kut site. If this is an accurate <br /> option, LTD would need to analyze the impact of the EmX project to the Gudu kut site <br /> (i.e. reconstruction of the bike path). Again, the enabling legislation creating the LWCF <br /> program and BLM policy would need to be considered in any action that may affect the <br /> resources on this parcel for which the conservation easement was originally acquired. <br /> <br />