LIKELY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE IDENTIFIED

Following careful evaluation, Enterprise Services identified the Estuary Alternative as the likely preferred alternative for the Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary Long-Term Management Project. Identifying a likely preferred alternative allows Enterprise Services to reconvene the Funding and Governance Work Group (FGWG) to advance a long-term funding and governance approach for the project, which is a top theme from the more than 850 comments on the Draft EIS. 

Concurrently, the EIS Project Team will be working over the coming months to update the technical analyses as needed in response to comments received on the Draft EIS and to confirm the preferred alternative. A summary of the primary focus areas for the Final EIS are included in these Frequently Asked Questions.

These updates were presented during a joint Executive Work Group and Funding and Governance Work Group meeting today, March 16, 2022.

View the meeting presentation and check back at the same link early next week for video of the discussion.

FUNDING AND GOVERNANCE WORK GROUP TO MEET MARCH 30

The FGWG will reconvene starting on March 30, 2022, from 12:30 to 2:30 P.M. Enterprise Services originally convened the FGWG to fulfill legislative proviso elements. In the coming months, the FGWG will continue work toward a final shared long-term funding and governance approach for the Estuary Alternative.

Learn more about the FGWG and other work groups.

HOW WAS THE LIKELY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE IDENTIFIED?

The EIS Project Team and Enterprise Services evaluated the alternatives against a range of technical criteria using the process outlined in Section 1.12 of the Draft EIS, and considered input received in late 2021 from engaged stakeholders on the ability of each alternative to achieve long-term support.

The likely preferred alternative is:

• Based on the Draft EIS and anticipated updates to technical analyses resulting from comments.
• Necessary now to allow funding and governance work to continue.

• Representative of the most likely outcome.

A final decision regarding the preferred alternative will be included in the Final EIS, after the technical analyses for the Final EIS are completed.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Enterprise Services and the EIS Project Team will be developing the Final EIS, which is expected to be issued in fall 2022. This work includes the following primary activities:

• Update and refine technical analysis, and revise discipline reports and the Final EIS as needed.
• Prepare responses to Draft EIS comments and a comment response summary for the Final EIS.
• Facilitate a series of FGWG meetings and work toward a Memorandum of Agreement (or similar) for long-term shared funding and governance of the Estuary Alternative.
• Engage relevant agencies to confirm selected assumptions that were included in the Draft EIS.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for your continued interest in the Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary Long-Term Management Project. If you have questions, email us at info@capitollakedeschutesestuaryeis.org or call (360) 407-9323.