Wetlans Values
To: Eugene Planning Commission
Re: March 19, 1996 hearing on reclassification of wetlands
Attention: Neil Bjorklund
Hello,
I gave a verbal statement at the hearing but wanted to add a few facts that might help
persuade the commission to enhance wetland protection and not allow the wetland to be
paved over or built upon.
It is important for the commission to consider not just local effects but regional effects of
the proposed zoning change.
Wetlands have an intrinsic value because they reduce the damage caused by flooding during
major storm events.
Wetlands do this by temporarily storing water from storm events and slowly releasing it to
the streams. This action significantly reduces both the peak river stage and river flow. The
storage potential of the wetland is more than negated by building on a wetland as not only
is the storage capacity removed but the rainwater that falls on the surface is sped along
offsite and quickly enters rivers through a system of storm drains thus compounding the
flooding problem.
In the Willamette Valley, there is currently an effort being mounted to RESTORE wetlands.
The tributaries between Eugene and Albany are being targeted for restoration because of
amount of potential good it would do.
Based on a 3/12/96 report in the Register Guard, each acre of restored wetland has the
potential to reduce the damage caused to urban areas in the Willamette Valley by
approximately $1,900. A 200 acre site could reduce the flood damage caused by major
storm events by as much as $380,000. The Feb 1996 flood has already cost nearly $10
million in damage to Oregonians based on FEMA claims.
The article goes on to point out that in Massachusetts, $8 million worth of wetlands
conservation achieved the same flood protection as building a $100 million dam. (That is a
very fine return on investment.)
To protect the wetlands by zoning, costs the taxpayers nothing and produces monetary
rewards by reducing the damage due to flooding.
The Planning Commission has the opportunity here to protect the land, and the people
downstream now instead of mitigating elsewhere later.
Please keep roads and development out of wetlands. Put them on higher ground where they
belong.
Sincerely,
Jim Reed
1732 Long Island Dr.
Eugene, OR 97401
In the summary report of written comments to the Commissioners, my
comments were not specifically included because they did not directly
address issues in the proposed plan!
My letter, however, was included in the appendix of the 170p document so
that the members on the planning commission could read it if they
were so inclinded.
I went to the hearing where they were to discuss and then recommend action.
Even though, they had two weeks to look thru the document, most of the
panel didn't realize until that night that they were missing pages 6
thru 29.
Without the proper papers in hand, they decided to postpone the
decision until 6/4/96 at 5:30pm
My uneducated conclusion, is that the commissioners are overloaded with
paperwork. They can't read it all, and rely on the planners to tell
them how to decide. They have no additional information unless someone
contacts them directly or if they themselves have a particular interest
in the issue. In this case, direct lobbying of the commissioners may yield
some attention to your concerns