News Release
| Release Number: | 00-141 |
| Dated: | 8/11/2000 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. – The deadline to submit comments regarding the scope for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Tillamook Bay and Estuary Feasibility Study is quickly approaching.
The Corps would like the public to review the proposed study plan and comment before the Sept. 15, 2000, deadline on whether additional areas need to be evaluated. The Scoping Letter is available on the Internet at http://usace.co.tillamook.or.us/html/studydetails.html or by calling (503) 808-4768.
The current scope of the feasibility study and environmental impact statement will include 10 focus areas: dredging, floodplain restoration, setback levees, improved flood warning systems, floodway acquisition, runoff/erosion control, stream/riparian habitat restoration, wetlands restoration/creation, river channel modifications, and estuarine modifications. Each focus area will be evaluated for its affect on the physical, social, cultural and biological environments, as well as its potential to aid in reducing flood damages.
Comments must be received by the Corps' Portland District office before Sept. 15, 2000, to be considered when the agency looks at how and if to change, add or remove areas of focus in the report and environmental impact review. The draft feasibility study and environmental impact statement will be ready for public review in Fall 2002.
Comments should be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CENWP-PM-E (Stevens), P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946.
Tillamook County hosted two public information meetings on July 25 to seek comments from area residents, business owners and government agency representatives on the current scope of the report and EIS.
"Public and agency comment on the scoping letter is a key part of the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process that occurs at the beginning of a study," said Chuck Mason, the Corps' study manager. "This ensures everyone's concerns and interests are included during the plan formulation phase."
For more information of the Corps' study, visit the Tillamook Bay and Estuary Feasibility Study website at http://usace.co.tillamook.or.us/ or call (503) 808-4735.