Wetlands - Laserfiche WebLink

New Search

This Plan has conducted the mitigation analysis for the entire study area and concatdes that the most effeeiive.~-ay to achieve no net lotis of wetl<,nd resources is to avoid impact: As. result, over 75% 01 the .1,307 wetland acres will be protected from impact thrau~,h acyuisition, comprehensive pl.rn dcsigrrations, zoning techniques and huffcrin~~ rctluircmcnt:. For the 288 wetland acres recommended for development, the Plan requires compensation to occur at a minimum ratio of 1.5 acres of replacement for each acre of impact. Compensation is targeted for areas where the prospects for success are the highest, most beneficial to the ecological landscape and.requ ire little, ifany, on-going maintenance. These areas are located on historic wetlands, disturbed agricultural wetlands and in areas adjacent to existing waterways. Enhancement and restoration, therefore, will be the primary methods for compensating for wetland losses. Mitigation efforts will concentrate on reestablishing historic wetland types and habitats that naturally occur in the area; while also creating opportunities for other wetland types such as marshes and ponds. ' The Plan approaches rogation in a comprehensive thinner where resulting efforts not only satisfy federal and state wetland law but achieve outer community needs and ohjectives such as providing additional flood control stortge, water quality .cnhanccment features, imhrovcd wildlife habitat anci educational and recreational needs. Mitigation and the Regional ~Ylitigation Bank Concept The Plan utilizes the wetland mitigation bank concept as the primary means for implementing the mitigation program. With this approach,. mitigation efforts arc: planned as a whole where t}~e most suitable sites are identified, acquired and restored in advance of wetland impact. This concept not only benefits the natural resource system by planning for the restoration of the Amazon Creek basin, but it also benefits the users of the bank -the development community. The bank. system performs the mitigation requirements for individual users where the details of compensation are preplanned, con$tructed and maintained by a public or private nonprofit agency. To satisfy individual impact requirements, users simply have to buy mitigation credits from the bank, thus eliminating uncertainty _ and saving valuable time and resources. Because the bank is planned and developed as a whole, the details of mitigation can be incorporated into the existing environment, resulting. in a more logical and natural system. The bank is proposed to have sufficient capacity to serve the mitigation needs of the West Eugene Wetland Study Area and tt~e community as a whole. Stormwater Management T'he City of Eugene will develop a comprehensive Stormwater Management Program thataddresses the issues of flood control, water quality and natural resource management. This program will include management of the west Eugene wetlands system and will focus on the interrelationships among these components of Eugene's waterways and associated wetlands. The City of Eugene Public Works Department will use fewer piped storm sewers and will manage the open channels in ways to better balance stormwater and flood needs with environmental and wildlife habitat needs. T'he efforts will help reduce pollution and will make the waterways more pleasant urban open spaces. • Page 4 -Appendix A MOA For Wcst Eugcnc ~Vctlands Mitigation Banking Program