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 (OSU) signed its contract with FHWA and held its official kick-off meeting. The primary partners (The Wetlands Conservancy, OSU, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) have made considerable progress towards compiling a comprehensive set of project level wetlands conservation priorities for the Willamette Valley. This map has been integrated from all the Statewide conservation assessments and the newly developed digital wetlands data. This dataset will be completed by December 2008, and distributed to State agencies and conservation partners for review.

ODOT did a review of their existing manuals and databases used for conservation and mitigation, and developed new criteria based on Eco-Logical principles. The ODOT lists of species and habitats used in their Mitigation Manual were updated to match the priorities in the new Oregon Conservation Strategy, Oregon's version of the wildlife action plan. OSU staff is currently developing data to allow these species and habitat priorities to be sufficiently mapped to provide direction for identifying new mitigation banks and sites. Data is also being developed for use in ODOT long-range planning information systems to identify sensitive areas, based on the Oregon Conservation Strategy priority species and habitats, at-risk species information from the Natural Heritage Program, and the digital wetlands and priority conservation areas.

The team worked with the Federal Highway Administration to cooperate on an October 23, 2008 Oregon workshop on integrating conservation planning with transportation planning. The workshop was part of a 4 day conference on wildlife and transportation, and was a success.

Contact:

James Kagan
Director, Institute of Natural Resources
Oregon State University
(503) 731-3070
jimmy.kagan@oregonstate.edu

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