News Release
| Release Number: | 04-069 |
| Dated: | 4/12/2004 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating a permit application from Dinsdale Farms to remove and fill existing drainage ditches adjacent to the Tualatin River in Cornelius, Ore., as part of a cooperative environmental restoration project.
The restoration project would entail enhancing 20 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands, 2.4 acres of scrub-shrub wetlands, and 1 acre of forested wetlands and restoring 5.3 acres of riparian buffer and 5.4 acres of mixed upland forest. Also, an existing drainage ditch and three surface drains would be filled and, the remaining pipes backfilled to plug the lines.
A shallow swale would be created to replace the drainage system. About 2,500 cubic yards of material would be excavated from 1.3 acre of wetland for the swale and 0.16 acre of wetland for a small pond.
As part of its permit evaluation process, the Corps is requesting public review and comment on the proposed project prior to making its permit decision.
For a copy of the Corps' Public Notice 2004-00138, which describes the proposed project in detail, please write to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CENWP-OP-GP (Kathryn Harris), P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946 or call (503) 808-4387. A copy of the public notice, including photocopies of supporting drawings, is posted on the Corps' Internet site at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/notices/200400138.pdf.
Written comments must reach the Corps by May 2, 2004 and should be mailed to the above address. Send e-mail comments to Kathryn.L.Harris@usace.army.mil. Comments must reference the public notice number.
The Corps also is soliciting input from federal, state and local agencies and officials, Indian Tribes, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity on endangered species, cultural resources, water quality, general environmental effects, and other public interest factors.
The Corps will evaluate the permit request under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.
A permit will not be issued until the state has concurred with the applicant's certification that the described activity complies with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Also, because the proposed project may affect an endangered or threatened species or its critical habitat, the Corps will initiate consultation with NOAA Fisheries under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. A permit for the proposed activity will not be issued or denied until the consultation process is complete.
The proposed project is not located on property registered in the latest version of the National Register of Historic Places. This notice has been provided to the State Historic Preservation Office.