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Open House: Goal 5 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Protection

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	City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd. Tigard, Oregon 97223	Press Release February 2, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact:	Duane Roberts City of Tigard 503-639-4171, Ext. 2444 duane@tigard-or.gov

Tualatin Basin Governments Hosting Second Round of Open Houses on Goal 5 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Protection

Will Lead to Public Hearing March 29

Tigard and nine other Washington County cities have joined with the County, Clean Water Services and the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District to develop a fish and wildlife habitat protection plan for the Tualatin River Basin. This collaborative effort, known as the Partners for Natural Places, is being undertaken in cooperation with Metro. The Partners' future recommendations to protect environmentally sensitive habitat areas in the Tualatin Basin will be forwarded to Metro later this year for final approval as part of its regional habitat protection program.

Together with Metro, the Partners are hosting two Open Houses where the public can learn more about the draft analyses of watershed health and the Partners' site-specific recommendations on degrees of fish and wildlife habitat protection. The Basin Partners also will host a public hearing where the public can provide direct input on the recommendations. The schedule is as follows:

Open Houses:
- Monday March 1, 4 to 8 pm, Public Services Building, 155 N. First Avenue, Hillsboro, Cafeteria and Room 140

- Thursday March 4, 4 to 8 pm, City of Tualatin Police Department, 8650 SW Tualatin Road, Community Room

Public Hearing:
- Monday March 29, Beaverton Library, 12375 SW 5th Avenue, Beaverton; Informational Displays - Meeting Rooms A&B - open from 4 pm to 7:30 pm; Hearing - Auditorium - 6 to 8 pm

Metro will be conducting additional open houses around the region. For more information about these, visit their website at www.metro-region.org/habitat.

Because fish and wildlife habitat crosses city and county boundaries, in 2001 Metro decided to initiate an effort to develop a region-wide fish and wildlife habitat protection and enhancement program. This project is guided by statewide planning Goal 5 and the federal Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. The first step toward the completion of the project was Metro Council's 2002 approval of an inventory of regionally significant fish and wildlife habitat.

During 2003 Metro identified the economic, social, environmental, and energy (ESEE) consequences of protecting - or not protecting - habitat on a regional scale. In spring 2004 Metro will complete the regional ESEE analysis and adopt a map showing where development around the region may be affected by habitat protection.

The Tualatin Basin Partners are using Metro's inventory to conduct a more site-specific, local-level ESEE analysis. In spring 2004 the Partners will complete the local ESEE analysis and recommend to Metro the degree of fish and wildlife habitat protection deemed appropriate for the Tualatin Basin.

The final step will be to develop a program to protect significant habitat. Potential tools include education, incentives and funding programs for site acquisition and improvement, as well as regulatory standards. All potentially affected property owners will be notified prior to final program adoption.

Persons who cannot attend the public hearing, but would like to provide comments, may write to the Tualatin Basin Natural Resources Coordinating Committee at:
Washington County's Department of Land Use and Transportation
Planning Division, 155 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 350-14
Hillsboro, OR 97124

For more information, please contact Steve Kelley or Andrea Vannelli, Senior Planners, Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation, at 503-846-3519, email lutplan@co.washington.or.us. Information is also available at the Washington County web site www.co.washington.or.us/goal5