The Ports of Longview, Kalama, Woodland and Vancouver in Washington and Portland in Oregon are working with the Corps and other Lower Columbia River ports to keep the region open for business. The Sponsor Ports have two primary responsibilities as non-federal project sponsors. First, they share project funding with the Corps for construction, dredged material placement, and related restoration activities. Second, the Sponsor Ports are responsible for acquiring and permitting upland dredged material placement sites and beneficial use placement sites along the shoreline.

Additional Project Sponsor responsibilities:

• The Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) is a Washington State law (43.21C RCW, 197-11 WAC) that requires local and state agencies to consider the environmental impacts of their actions before making decisions that would result in changes to the environment or that involve the exchange or commitment of natural resources.

  Therefore, the Washington Sponsor Ports’ actions for permitting of upland and shoreline placement sites as non-federal project sponsors trigger SEPA review for the LCR CMP. Certain project permits and approvals that may be issued by other local and state agencies, such as the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Ecology, also require SEPA review. As the agencies responsible for complying with SEPA, the Washington Sponsor Ports will ensure environmental documents meet SEPA requirements to be clear and concise; identify probable environmental impacts, alternatives, and mitigation; encourage public involvement; and be efficiently integrated with other agency and regulatory requirements.

  Through this process, the Washington Sponsor Ports will ensure opportunities for public comments and will consider these comments along with the information gathered during the SEPA evaluation process in their final decision-making.

• The Oregon Sponsor Port shares in the responsibilities of all Sponsor Ports; however, SEPA analyses and authorizations are not required for port actions or for Oregon state agency actions. The Oregon Sponsor Port is obliged to comply with all appropriate and relevant Oregon state requirements. In addition, the Oregon Sponsor Port is also obliged to provide expertise and assist the Washington Sponsor Ports in the development of information required for their SEPA analysis and approval.