Summary: This project will create a single source of information to help conserve ecologically significant habitats and simplify the permitting process for development or mitigation. Oregon State University will build on the recently completed Oregon Conservation Strategy (OCS) to move existing information on wetlands, endangered species, habitats and important natural resources from the coarser landscape plane to a more detailed project-level and offer this information in a publicly accessible online system. The project will increase the efficiency of conservation information collection and compilation and promote improved watershed planning and community and non-profit restoration activities by providing essential wetlands information, and restoration and conservation goals, in one location. This project has three phases: 1) Compile and integrate comprehensive project-level conservation data from the Willamette Basin as a pilot; 2) Compile and integrate current wetland, threatened and endangered species, and conservation strategy data at a less detailed level of resolution for Rogue and Deschutes Basins; 3) Inventory all existing data layers and prioritizations and develop a roadmap on how to reach a finer level of detail of prioritizations and site specific strategies and goals.

Project Status: Oregon State University signed its contract with FHWA and held its official kick-off meeting.

Contact: James Kagan
Information Program Manager and Heritage Director
Oregon State University
(503) 731-3070
jimmy.kagan@oregonstate.edu

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