Ordinance No. 20126 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The proposed amendments are consistent with this policy. Policy 29, page III-C-11: "Local governments shall work with owners of designated environmentally-sensitive areas to require that reasonable actions are taken to protect these lands, e.g., the heronry at the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers and the site of the Aster curtus in the Willow Creek Basin." There are two sites within the West Eugene Wetlands Plan area that are designated in the Metro Plan as environmentally sensitive. They are the Willow Creek Natural Area and Bertelsen Slough. The Bertelsen Slough area is owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management as a protected natural resource area, The Willow Creek Natural Area is awned by the Nature Conservancy and is also managed a~s a protected natural area. The proposed amendments will not change the fact that both Bertelsen Slough and Willow Creek are being actively managed by their respective owners for protection of natural resources. The amendments do not change the status of these sites, and are therefore consistent with this policy, Policy 2, page III-E-3: "Natural vegetation, natural water features, and drainageways shall be protected and retained to the maximum extent practicable, considering the economic, social, environmental and energy consequences in the design and construction of urban development and landscaping shall be utilized to enhance those natural features." The criteria proposed in these amendments for designating wetlands sites for portions of sites} includes criteria for protection andlor restoration of wetlands, which will prevent disturbance of wetlands, water features and natural vegetation on those sites. By protecting wildlife habitat, water quality and vegetation on sites that meet these criteria, these proposed amendments are consistent with the above policy. The reference to "economic, social, environmental and energy impacts" comes from statewide planning Goal 5. See Exhibit B, incorporated herein by reference} for a discussion of consistency of these amendments with Goal 5. The overall impact of applying the policies in the proposed amendments to the West Eugene Wetlands Plan, if they are approved, is to continue to protect the mad ority of wetlands and waterways in the Plan area in the manner established by the original Plan, This includes protecting natural vegetation on the most valuable wetland sites and restoration of native habitat on suitable restoration sites. Based upon the level of protection of these provisions, the amendments are consistent with this policy. Summary Conclusions: Metro Plan Consistency Text Amendments ordinance, Exhibit C Refinement Plan Amendment Findings Page 3