PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment and will conduct a series of open houses to help determine the issues to be addressed in the Mid-Columbia River Regional Master Plan and integrated environmental assessment.
The purpose of the Mid-Columbia River Regional Master Plan is to serve as the overall strategic management document guiding the Corps’ comprehensive administration and development of recreational, natural and cultural resources on Corps-owned lands associated with projects at Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and Willow Creek. The master plan would provide an overall land use management plan, including objectives and concepts for the efficient and cost-effective management, development and use of project lands for the next twenty years.
All interested parties are invited to attend any or all of the open houses. Each open house will provide general information about the Mid-Columbia River Regional Master Plan, and individual open houses will focus on specific areas, as noted below:
Open Houses:
Bonneville Focus Area
Date and Time: February 6, 2018 from 5 - 7 p.m.
Location: Bonneville Dam Auditorium
NE Bonneville Way at Bonneville Dam
(Exit 40 on I-84)
The Dalles Focus Area
Date and Time: February 7, 2018 from 5 - 7 p.m.
Location: The Dalles-Wasco County Library
722 Court Street
The Dalles, OR
John Day Focus Area
Date and Time: February 8, 2018 from 5 - 7 p.m.
Location: Port of Morrow Riverfront Center
2 Marine Drive NE
Boardman, OR
Willow Creek Focus Area
Date and Time: February 13, 2018 from 5 - 7 p.m.
Location: Heppner City Hall
111 N Main Street
Heppner, OR
Master plans for the mid-Columbia River projects date back to the 1970s. A regional master plan is needed to integrate and update management and development planning for the mid-Columbia River projects in order to guide responsible stewardship and sustainability of project resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
Each Corps dam contributes to a water resource management system that provides flood risk management, power generation, water quality improvement, irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation on the Columbia River and some of its tributaries.
Federal, state and local agencies, and many Mid-Columbia River Basin stakeholders are united in their commitment to protect native fish and their habitat. These entities have been working together for many years on improvements essential for the successful protection and recovery of these fish populations.
View the complete public notice at www.nwp.usace.army.mil/notices/permit-application/Article/1428285/.
Written comments may be sent via email to: mid-columbia-plan@usace.army.mil or sent via mail to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: CENWP-PM-F/Gail Saldaña
P.O. Box 2946
Portland, OR 97208-2946
Written comments may also be submitted at the open houses.
Public review helps the Corps consider the concerns of citizens and organizations by involving them in the environmental review process. The Corps understands that citizens often have valuable information about the places and resources they value.
All comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act, including any personally identifiable information such as name, phone numbers and addresses.