Department of Energy

Bonneville Power Administration P.O. Box 3621 Portland, Oregon 97208-3621

ENVIRONMENT, FISH AND WILDLIFE

July 15, 2015

In reply refer to: KEC-4

To: Parties Interested in the Proposed Atfalati Pairie Land Acquisition under the 2010 Willamette Wildlife Habitat Agreement

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) intends to fund the purchase of approximately 213 acres of floodplain, riparian and wet prairie habitats, located along the Tualatin River in Washington County, Oregon state. When the purchase is complete Columbia Land Trust will own and manage the property for fish and wildlife conservation purposes and BPA will receive a conservation easement to ensure that the habitat values on the property are always protected. BPA is sending this letter to inform nearby residents and other interested parties of this land purchase.

Funding this land purchase partially fulfills commitments made by BPA in the 2010 “Willamette River Basin Memorandum of Agreement Regarding Wildlife Habitat Protection and Enhancement between the State of Oregon and the Bonneville Power Administration.” This is part of ongoing efforts to mitigate for the impacts to fish and wildlife from the construction and operation of federal flood control and hydroelectric facilities in the Willamette River Basin. When the transaction is complete, this property will become one of a growing network of conservation lands in the Willamette Valley providing important and long lasting fish and wildlife habitat benefits. Conserving habitat on the Tualatin River property also partially fulfills BPA’s habitat restoration and protection responsibilities under the Willamette Project Biological Opinions (NMFS 2008, USFWS 2008).

Enclosed you will find a map detailing this land transaction. BPA has prepared a memo and environmental checklist documenting that no further environmental review of this funding action is required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This documentation, known as a categorical exclusion, was approved on July 7, 2015, and is posted on BPA’s website at: http://www.efw.bpa.gov/environmental_services/categoricalexclusions.aspx .

Upon completion of the land acquisition BPA and Columbia Land Trust intend to establish secure, permanent funding for stewardship of the properties. BPA will make a one-time lump sum payment to fund a stewardship account from which Columbia Land Trust will draw monies as needed to provide permanent stewardship on the properties. Stewardship management actions may include, but are not limited to public outreach, site monitoring, habitat mapping, encroachment monitoring, invasive species monitoring and control, and annual maintenance of boundary fence, signage, or gates.

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The Columbia Land Trust will develop a management plan to guide the protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat on the property. The Columbia Land Trust will provide the opportunity for the public to review the draft plan. Interested parties should contact Ian Sinks, Stewardship Director for the Land Trust, at 360-213-1206, if they would like to be included on review notifications. BPA will review the plan for consistency with the purpose of the acquisition and the terms and conditions of the conservation easement prior to its implementation. Large scale restoration activities associated with the property would be funded with sources other than stewardship funds. If BPA proposes to fund any restoration activities, we will conduct additional environmental review under NEPA and other statutes as appropriate.

If you have any questions regarding this land purchase, please feel free to contact the project manager, Dorie Welch at (503) 230-5479 or [email protected]. You can also call toll free 800- 622-4519. Please refer to the Atfalati Prairie Land Acquisition.

Sincerely,

/s/ Donald L. Rose Donald L. Rose Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist – KEC-4

Enclosure: Vicinity Map

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Atfalati Prairie Acquisition M o n t a n a Public Notification Map W a s h i n g t o n Washington County, OR - Forest Grove and Laurelwood 24k USGS Quads µ (213 Acres) Map Proposed Acquisition Area Area O r e g o n I d a h o WY Miles

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