corresponding mitigation proposal (1003(b)(3)). An interagency coordination team composed of 

 federal and state agencies and the Corps participated in the development and review of the 

 mitigation proposal. 



a. Wildlife Losses. The method used to evaluate the net impacts to wildlife as a result qf 

 the Willamette facilities was a habitat-based approach utilizing the Habitat Evaluation Procedure. 

 Using the procedure, an interagency team of biologists selected evaluation or "target" species and 

 subsequently evaluated habitat conditions based on the selected species habitat criteria. The 

 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife states that only impacts attributable to hydroelectric 

 development, maintenance and operation were evaluated, i.e., impacts from irrigation, power lines, 

 roads, project operation, etc. were not addressed. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 

 calculated the wildlife losses attributable to hydropower by determining the percentage of project 

 flows required for hydropower operation. The remaining non-hydro portion of flows was used to 

 reduce the level of proposed mitigation so that ratepayers would fund only hydro-related 

 mitigation. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife believes this is the best method for 

 determining losses attributable to hydropower. 



b. Mitigation Proposal. From the loss statement, the Oregon Department of Fish and 

 Wildlife estimated that 20,123 acres of prime habitat (15,295 ell< habitat units) were permanently 

 lost as a '■esjult of the eight hydroelectric facilities. The habitat losses were grouped into three 

 categories: big game winter range, riparian habitat (i.e., vegetation along streams and rivers), 

 and old-growth forest (i.e., timber stands 200 years old or more). 



The goal of the mitigation proposal is to protect sufficient habitat through purchase, 

 easement and enhancement to compensate for the value of the habitat directly impacted, and 

 regain wildlife management opportunities. This goal seeks to mitigate for the type and proportion 

 of the original habitat to the greatest extent possible, thus benefiting the largest number of affected 

 wildlife species. To address these goals, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife suggests the 

 following mitigation approach: 



• Purchase or acquire management rights for 20,000 acres of cut-over forest lands as 

 mitigation phmahly for big game winter range. Improve and manage these acquired 

 lands. 



• Purchase approximately 4,400 acres of private land along the Willamette River 

 Greenway as mitigation for riparian habitat. 



9./ See footnote 7. 



10^ Essentially, the division of 20,123 acres represents "critical" big game winter range dissected 

 into components (i.e., 49 percent general purpose winter range, 25 percent riparian, and 26 

 percent old-growth). The most important reason for this approach is that, although riparian 

 habitat and old-growth forest are necessary to the existence of critical elk winter range, they 

 also have intrinsic value to many other wildlife species. 



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