United States Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Region and United States Bureau of Land Management: Oregon State Office. “Eastside draft environmental impact statement.” Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project: BLM-OR-WA-PL-96-037+1792. 1996: 2-151. (reviewed by Laura Gayton)
Summary:
In 1993, under President William Clinton's direction, the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project was begun. It was formulated to respond to several issues, including the health of ecosystems, local economics and tribal land trusts and treaties and included two environmental impact statements which would replace existing conservation management regimes and one scientific assessment of current ecosystem function. The Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project published this draft environmental impact statement (E.I.S.) for public review before implementing a final plan for the restoration and management of the Basin. This E.I.S. includes objectives, standards and guidelines for the maintenance of areas with functioning ecosystems, the restoration of those areas declared “unstable” and the careful management of areas neither unstable nor fully functioning. Topics such as diversity of animal and plant species, riparian conservation, use of roads, recreation, hunting, tribal uses of the land and farming are analyzed in light of the Project. Counsel is given concerning most issues currently facing the Basin, and if all of these proposals and strategies were implemented, the Columbia River's many ecosystems would enjoy far reaching protections.
The E.I.S. is divided into broad topics such as the “Wide-ranging Carnivores” and “Aquatic and Terrestrial Threatened, Endangered, Proposed Species.” Each section outlines management goals and describes the regulations and guidelines for attaining the maintenance or restoration of the ecosystem or ecotone in question. For example, under the heading “Landscape Dynamics Component” one objective is to:
Preserve future management options and prevent further declines in landscape processes and functions by maintaining and promoting (a) healthy, productive and diverse plant and animal communities as appropriate to soil type, climate, and landform (terrestrial source habitats); and (b) ecological processes of nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the hydrologic cycle (United States 24).
Though the goals of this objective are broadly stated, they demonstrate the nature of the article, which gives recommendations for the maintenance and improvement of ecosystems in the Columbia River Basin without actual methodology in most cases. The role of this piece is to state possible environmental impacts of actions and relates to Columbia River ecosystem health in many ways. Information can be gleaned by making inferences about the status of the environment given the objectives of the Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project and possible courses of action are outlined as well.
Critique:
While an informative, fairly current source, this document, as part of a piece of legislation, is dense. In what is essentially a study of issues facing the Columbia River Basin, the authors, whose intent was to make the document as legally viable as possible, could be considered guilty of circumlocution and the use of technical language that is sometimes unclear in its implications. One thing included in this edition of the E.I.S. is a section following many of the objectives that is entitled “Rationale.” This section puts the objective, guideline or standard into more accessible language and is very helpful.
Another consideration is that this is in fact a draft version of the final document. Perhaps the version that was actually put into use instead of this draft meant to elicit public comment would be more applicable. Certainly the person making use of this document would benefit from background on the project and knowledge of subsequent legislation and implementation. Overall, however, this document is rich in applicable information.
Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon
HC 441: Science Colloquium, Columbia River Ecology
Fall term, 2005
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