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headquarters on Roosevelt, which currently serves as the meeting location for the mitigation <br /> bank's maintenance crew. Given the size of the WEW (currently approximately 2,200 acres and <br /> growing), there may be operational efficiencies to a dedicated wetlands maintenance / <br /> management facility located closer to the wetlands than the PWM facility, such as those <br /> mentioned above (e.g. the education center, corner lot, other lots on Atlantic Ave.). <br /> Non-profit <br /> The non-profit, WREN, may be proposed as a new partner to the West Eugene Wetlands <br /> program, similar to the current relationship with TNC which is also anon-profit organization. <br /> WREN will serve as the fiscal agent for certain financial issues related to the education program, <br /> including fundraising, and possibly some operations for the wetlands, although this is yet to be <br /> determined. The current interim board will be replaced over time with invited citizens, <br /> representatives of the business community, and possibly representatives of governments (this <br /> was done by the City of Hillsboro and Unified Sewerage Agency in Washington County which is <br /> a section to follow). <br /> Another vision for the non-profit is to have them be the fiscal agent for establishing long term <br /> maintenance of the wetlands (see section below). Additionally, the non-profit could employ the <br /> education center director and other support staff. The non-profit is able to access funds not <br /> available to government or business and can also provide tax benefits to donors and the center. <br /> Funding long term maintenance of the wetlands <br /> There is a need for a steady funding source for management of the wetlands acquired by the West <br /> Eugene Wetlands partnership. This is especially true for BLM since they have the bulk of the <br /> land base and no dedicated funding source for the maintenance of the wetlands. BLM land that <br /> has been restored by the West Eugene Wetlands Mitigation Bank will revert to BLM <br /> management at the end of the 5 year monitoring and maintenance period. There will continue to <br /> be a need for periodic maintenance of these restored wetland sites and the non-profit has been <br /> identified as a vehicle to provide a funding source to carry out this long term maintenance. This <br /> would benefit the City by ensuring that our largest publically-owned open space is well managed <br /> and there could be assistance for maintenance and management of City owned wetlands in West <br /> Eugene (there are currently over 130 acres of City owned wetlands in West Eugene). <br /> Additionally, the non-profit may be able to fund the restoration of wetland sites as a complement <br /> to the mitigation bank. There are far more acres in need of restoration than the bank can finance <br /> in the foreseeable future. <br /> <br /> Section V: Examples of Other Centers <br /> The most similar effort underway regionally is at the City of Hillsboro, Oregon involving the <br /> Unified Sewerage Agency and Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve. They are much farther along <br /> in the process and currently have $1.4 million of the estimated $2.5 million needed for <br /> construction of their wetland education center. The group spearheading this effort is the City of <br /> <br />