Portland, Ore. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hosting several public meetings to inform, listen to and obtain comments regarding the Willamette Valley System’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The meetings are scheduled on the following dates:
June 4 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. at the Eugene Public Library
(100 W 10th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401. Bascom – Tykeson Room)
June 5 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. at the South Salem High School Library
(1910 Church St SE, Salem, OR 97302. Library – North Side Room)
June 6 from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Portland State University Conference Center
(310 SW Lincoln St, Portland, OR 97201. Willamette Room)
June 12 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. at the Corvallis-Benton Public Library
(645 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330. Main Meeting Room)
June 13 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. at the Springfield City Hall
(225 Fifth Street, Springfield, OR 97477. Council Chambers)
The purpose of the Willamette Valley System’s Environmental Impact Statement is to address the continued operations and maintenance of the Willamette Valley System in accordance with authorized project purposes; while meeting Endangered Species Act obligations to avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of listed species. The most recent NEPA evaluation for the overall Willamette Valley System operations and maintenance was an EIS completed in 1980.
The EIS is currently in the “scoping” period, or the time during which the Corps collects information, ideas and concerns in the form of public comments to help inform the analysis of potential effects, alternatives that meet the project’s purpose and need, and the criteria for evaluation and comparison of alternatives. Written comments for consideration in the development of the EIS are due no later than June 28, 2019.
Written comments for this “scoping” period of the EIS are due by June 28, 2019.
Comments can be sent to willamette.eis@usace.army.mil or mailed to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CENWP-PME-E
ATTN: Suzanne Hill
P.O. Box 2946
Portland, OR 97208-2946
Comments that are solution-oriented and provide specific examples will be more effective than those that are generic, negative or vague. For more information on the NEPA process, visit: https://ceq.doe.gov/docs/get-involved/Citizens_Guide_Dec07.pdf.
Learn more about the EIS here: https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Locations/Willamette-Valley/Evaluation/.