Vision Statement

Ecosystem Restoration and Mitigation Working Group for the Centralia/Chehalis Flood Damage Reduction Study Vision Statement

The US Army Corps of Engineers and Lewis County are currently preparing a General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement (GRR/EIS) in relation to efforts to reduce flood water damages to the cities, highway system and metropolitan area of Centralia and Chehalis. The Centralia, Washington GRR/EIS Restoration/Mitigation Working Group (working group) is envisioned to be a group of agency and Tribal representatives interested in the health of the river and the riparian ecosystems in the Chehalis River watershed. The primary purpose to assemble the working group is to provide the opportunity for input and ideas from interested agencies into the plans, strategies, methods and locations for preferred habitat restoration and habitat mitigation measures in relation to each of the alternatives being considered by the Corps and Lewis County.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is required to rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives, and for alternatives which were eliminated from detailed study, briefly discuss the reasons for their having been eliminated. (40 CFR 1502.14a). Additionally, the NEPA process is intended to help public officials make decisions that are based on understanding of environmental consequences, and take actions that protect, restore, and enhance the environment. (40 CFR 1500.1). By assembling the working group, the Corps and Lewis County want to devise methods and measures to either minimize any adverse effects to the environment potentially caused by each project alternatives and devise methods and measures to restore degraded ecosystems in the project area. For the working group, this means treating all project alternatives as if they were theoretically the proposed plan and devising and investigating what opportunities the constructed features of the alternative have for restoration, and what measures would be desirable for mitigation to offset or minimize adverse effects of each alternative. While one agency may support or oppose a particular alternative, it not the intention of the working group to oppose or support one alternative over another.

What the working group will hopefully do:

• Look at and relate restoration/mitigation opportunities in the Chehalis River Basin that are well-matched to project alternatives.
• Help develop restoration and mitigation plans for each project alternative.
• Assemble ideas, preferences, data sources and information related to developing restoration/mitigation plans for each project alternative.
• Inform other agency employees and Tribal members of project alternatives and details of the GRR/EIS and its status, along with restoration/mitigation strategies.
• Provide comments, ideas and strategies for efficient and useful field studies related to project restoration/mitigation.
• Attend on-site restoration/mitigation field visits for data collection and information exchanges.
• Offer expert and informed information related to the project.

What the working group is not intended to do:

• Oppose or promote any one project alternative.
• While one alternative may be more attractive or preferable or less attractive or preferable to an agency’s mission or position, the working group is not a decision making body. The working group will not be selecting a preferred alternative for the project.
• Make decisions on what actions will take place on the ground in the project area.
• Decide what project alternative is best or worst.
• Promote a restoration component in the GRR/EIS that is beyond the scope of the present investigation.

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