The Willamette Restoration Initiative (WRI) was created in 1998 by Governor John Kitzhaber through Executive Order 98-18.  The purpose of  WRI is to better effect the goals of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds in the Willamette River basin.  The six basic goals of WRI are: 1) clean water, 2) healthy native habitats, 3) strong economy, 4) high quality of life, 5) shared community stewardship, and 6) accountable institutions.

    The WRI has resulted in three reports: the September, 1999 "Restoring the Willamette Basin: Issues and Challenges, the WRI Restoration Program Inventory (a complete copy of this 218 page report, including tables, can be obtained at this link), and the May 18, 2000 "Report to the Governor, Legislature, and Oregon Citizens - On Restoring the Health of the Willamette Watershed".

    The purpose of the WRI Restoration Program Inventory Report is to provide information to assist the WRI in identifying major restoration, conservation and/or rehabilitation programs in the basin.  Programs of interest are those that involve activities such as on the ground project implementation, data collection and analysis, monitoring, information management, policy development, and public outreach.

    ORWW participated in the writing of the WRI Restoration Program Inventory Report by providing: 1) written answers to three general questions regarding WRI potential for success, 2) a detailed description of the PEAS Project, including ORWW goals and objectives, and 3) an equally detailed description of the Classroom on the Siletz River Day Project.

    Responses from over 90 programs--including the two ORWW projects--were summarized in a series of tables contained in the report.
 

WRI Program Summary Tables

    The following table citations compare the ORWW PEAS and Classroom on the Siletz River Day programs with the 91 other (30 Federal, 26 State, 17 Local, 13 Conservation Group, 4 University and 3 Privately funded) programs profiled in the WRI Report. The two ORWW programs are both privately funded; the other program being the Oregon Farm Bureau's participation in the Oregon Regulatory 10-10 Planning Process.

    Ten of the 30 Federal programs are administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service; seven others by the Army Corps of Engineers.  Eight of the 26 State programs are administered by the Department of Environmental Quality; six others by the Parks and Recreation Department.  Eleven of the 17 Local programs are administered by the City of Portland; of those, nine are administered by the Bureau of Environmental Services.  Four of the 13 Conservation Group programs are aministered by the Nature Conservancy; no other organization manages more than one.  Two of the three Private programs are adminstered by ORWW; three of the four University programs are based at Oregon State University.

    The number, title, and page reference for tables that profile the two ORWW projects are:

    Table 4 (Page 22) "Conservation Group and Private Programs"

    Table 8 (Page 28) "Scope of Program Activities"

    Table 9 (Page 30) "Work Areas of Programs"
 

The Three WRI General Program Questions

    The following questions were answered relative to ORWW areas of responsibility and/or knowledge. The questions pertain to the Willamette Restoration Initiative, not to the specific programs of ORWW, as stipulated by the report's authors.
 

A.      The Willamette Restoration Initiative's goals include clean water, healthy native ecosystems, a strong economy, and a high quality of life in the Willamette Basin.  In your opinion, what are the most important barriers to achievement of these objectives?  (page 40).

    1)  General lack of awareness and common understanding of need for WRI.

    2)  Lack of common definitions and measures for environmental "health" and "quality of life"

    3)  Conflicting objectives between rural and urban residents.

    4)  Poor historical data and inadequate understanding of past environmental conditions.
 

B.      Can you or your agency or organization recommend important short term (1-3 years), mid-term (3-5 years), and/or long-term (greater than 5 years) actions the Willamette Restoration Initiative should focus on in developing its basin-wide restoration strategy?  (Page 51).

Short-term:

    1)  Develop public consensus for mission, definitions, and values associated with goals of WRI.

    2)  Research and document range of past conditions in the Willamette Valley.

    3)  Develop a communications network for keeping citizens informed and for encouraging citizen involvement.

Mid-term:

    1)  Develop formal funding, planning, and monitoring strategies.

    2)  Implement initial sub-basin scale environmental enhancement projects, based on community values and historical data.

    3)  Test monitoring methods and communications system.

Long-term:

    WRI goals and objectives are modified periodically, depending on changing values, research findings, and monitoring results.  Plans and other strategies are modified accordingly.
 

C.      In your opinion, what are the highest priority immediate action items (immediate action items are defined as important, producing tangible results, and implementable) for the Willamette Restoration Initiative. (Pages 58-59).

    1)  WRI social science representation should be expanded beyond basic economics and sociology.  An interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary team of scientists, including cultural anthropologists, historians, landscape ecologists (European perspective), political scientists, psychologists, and religious studies experts, should be added to the current team of wildlife biologists, foresters, and hydrologists working on the WRI.

    2)   Public meetings regarding the next WRI White Paper draft should be held at convenient times and locations throughout the Willamette basin.  The purposes of the meeting should be two-fold: 1) the public would be informed about scientific findings regarding the Willamette River's current and past conditions, and 2) the public would be solicited for common values regarding those conditions.

    3)  Common values should then be incorporated by WRI scientists into formal goals, objectives, and measures.  Following periodic public review, these results could then be used to develop and coordinate sub-basin scale watershed plans, projects, and monitoring strategies.  An informed, involved public would be more likely to embrace the short and long term strategies--and make them better--needed for WRI to succeed.
 

WRI Program Descriptions

The PEAS Project
Philomath, Eddyville, Alsea, and Siletz Schools Internet Education Project
(Pages 204-206).

1) Program name or title:

    The PEAS Project (Philomath, Eddyville, Alsea, and Siletz Schools Internet Education) Project.

2) Program geographic scope:

    Northwest Oregon pilot project, intended as education/communications model for Oregon (statewide scale) and/or Columbia basin (regional scale).

3) Main sources of program funding (assign a rough percentage for a total of 100%):

Private sponsorship            30      (other)
Corporate                          30
Private foundation              40

4) If the program is collaborative, indicate the types of partners:

Academic institutions                 30
Landowners                              20
Local businesses                       10
Internet communications            10
Corporate                                 10
County government                    10
Conservation groups                   5
State government                        5

5) Indicate the program's area(s) of interest or scope (assign a rough percentage for a total of 100%):

Environmental sciences curricula             30
Internet communications                         30
Land use                                                20
Native species                                        10
Program evaluation                                 10

6) Indicate the type(s) of work that best characterizes the program (for a total of 100%):

Information management                40
Outreach/education                        30
Land use and management              10
Monitoring                                      10
Inventory                                         10

7) Brief program description:

    Oregon Websites and Watershed Project, Inc. ("Oregon Websites") is an Oregon-based nonprofit IRS 501 c(3) corporation.  Oregon Websites has completed two key pilot projects in the past three years: the PEAS Project and Classroom on the Siletz River Days.  The PEAS Project ("Philomath, Eddyville, Alsea and Siletz Schools Internet Education Project") demonstrated the technical and economical feasibility of implementing Oregon Websites on a broad, statewide scale. The primary objective of PEAS was to initiate knowledgeable use of the Internet and World Wide Web as tools for instruction, research and networking by rural students and teachers with an interest in environmental sciences.

    The PEAS Project established 5-school website communications network on a single day, at no cost to participating schools, established software protocol for exchanging e-mail and other files between the schools, and featured web-based student/teacher environmental science projects from each school.  Science projects were featured both on the Internet and in the PEAS Pilot newsletter (Vol. I, No. 2).

8) Is there a website for this program?  If so, what is the address?

    Background information on Oregon Websites and the PEAS Project can be found in the project's first two newsletters, which were circulated in print and digitized for Internet applications:

http://www.ORWW.org/PEAS/News/Newsletter.html

    Local news articles and letters of support from Oregon Senators Smith and Wyden:

http://www.ORWW.org/PEAS/News/Articles.html

    The Siletz 2nd Grader's Report on "the salmon cycle" (wildlife biology):

http://www.ORWW.org/PEAS/SZ-Day/SalmonCycle/salmon cycle.html

    An indexed, comprehensive 1939 aerial photograph coverage of the Siletz River, basin digitized and put online by an Eddyville HS senior (landscape history):

http://www.ORWW.org/Reports/R/SZ/AP-1939-INTRO.html

    Alsea HS students' report on Alsi Indians (cultural history):

http://www.ORWW.org/Reports/S/007J/0912/Kingfisher/Kingfisher_13.html

    Initial Oregon Websites/PEAS Sponsors:

http://www.ORWW.org/PEAS/Sponsors

9) Program goal(s) and objectives:

    Oregon Websites is a nonprofit Philomath, Oregon-based organization established to provide quality environmental science and computer technology education for Oregon schools and communities. The primary mission of the organization is to instruct Oregon students, teachers, and residents in the use of computer technology, historical documentation, scientific reasoning, community consensus building,  environmental enhancement projects, and long-term monitoring strategies for the purpose of making decisions regarding local natural and cultural resources.

    This mission is based on the ongoing needs to assist rural classrooms in using new communications and computational technology, and to address endemic regional environmental controversies with proactive, community-based research and education strategies. In order to achieve its mission, Oregon Websites' Board of Directors has adopted six basic objectives.  These objectives are intended to be completed in cooperation with local schools, businesses, landowners, parents, residents, resource managers, scientists, and other community members:

    1)  To assist in the development of a statewide urban/rural Internet communications network designed to enhance academic, employment, and business opportunities for local Oregon school children.

    2)  To help initiate long-term regional environmental sciences projects among Oregon's schools and communities.

    3)  To help monitor and enhance Oregon's wild fish populations.

    4)  To help monitor and evaluate Oregon's completed streamside enhancement projects.

    5)  To assist in research and mapping Oregon's local forest and rangeland histories.

    6)  To help initiate and maintain common local checklists of Oregon's wild plant and animal populations.

10) If applicable, please identify the program's approximate start date (month/year), significant milestone dates, and program end date (month/year):

Start Date                                                         December, 1996
Five PEAS School websites activated                January, 1997
First "PEAS Pilot" newsletter mailed                   January, 1997
Second PEAS Pilot put online by students          March, 1997
PEAS Awards ceremony                                   June, 1997
Virtual server established: ORWW.org               February, 1998
Siletz River Day 1998 website                            May, 1998
Siletz River Day 1999 website                            April, 1999
River Day 2000 website                                     May, 2000
Oregon Lynx Project Homepage                         May, 2000

11) Identify other groups or agencies you know of that are conducting a similar program in the same geographic area as yours:

    Not aware of any similar programs in western Oregon.

12) What is the program's average annual budget?  Estimate the percentage of annual budget potentially available for Willamette Basin efforts?

      The program's budget was over $100,000 for its first year of existence.  Website management and maintenance costs are currently about $2,000/month, including student intern wages, training, and supervision; equipment and software repairs and upgrades, and monthly service charges.

13) If the program finances individual projects, identify upper limit on individual project costs and criteria for project selection/funding.

    There are no upper limits on individual projects.  Criteria are available funding and consistency with project mission and goals.

14) If your organization's programs offer technical assistance and in-kind services, please describe.

    Technical assistance and in-kind services are occasionally offered, depending on need and availability of resources.  A significant amount of assistance and services was provided to participating schools at the beginning of this project, but need declined almost immediately after the startup phase was completed.

15) Are there significant obstacles or barriers to success in implementation of this program? If so, describe.

    1)  Funding.

    2)  Competition (rather than collaboration) among existing programs.

    3)  Agency distrust of new and/or innovative programs.

Classroom on the Siletz River Day
(Page 206-208).

1) Program name or title:

    Classroom on the Siletz River Day.

2) Program geographic scope:

    Statewide model.
    Single watershed pilot (Siletz River).

3) Main sources of program funding (assign a rough percentage to as many as apply for a total of 100%):

Private sponsorship                50      (other)
Corporate                              25
Private foundation                   25

4) If the program is collaborative, indicate the types of partners (check as many as apply):

Academic institutions                 30
Landowners                              15
Internet communications             10
Volunteers                                 10
Corporate                                  10
Tribes                                        10
State government                         5
County government                      5
Conservation groups                    3
Watershed councils                      2

5) Indicate the program's area(s) of interest or scope (assign a rough percentage to as many as apply for a total of 100%):

Land use                                            30
Native species                                    20
Environmental sciences curricula          15
Internet communications                      10
Program evaluation                              10
Water quality                                         5
Fish consumption                                   5
Erosion                                                  5

6) Indicate the type(s) of work that best characterizes the program (assign a rough percentage to as many as apply for a total of 100%):

Outreach/education                      40
Information management               20
Land use and management            20
Research                                        5
Inventory                                        5
Monitoring                                      5
Policy                                             5

7) Brief program description:

  Classroom on the Siletz River Day was initially created and sponsored by Oregon Websites and Watershed Project, Inc., working in conjunction with project sponsors, Siletz School, and Oregon State University SMILE ("Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience") Program in September, 1997.  This project resulted in a number of May 6 and 7, 1998 events centered at Siletz School and focused on the Siletz River basin.  Events involved students, teachers, parents, scientists, and resource managers from Siletz, Oregon and surrounding communities.  Planned activities addressed local anadromous fish populations, Siletz history and culture, and river water quality.

    Participating students attended lectures on the use of statistics for measuring wild plant and animal populations (including fish); fished for native trout, lamprey eels, and steelhead; documented the existence of local seal populations and landslides; measured river water temperatures and sediment levels; visited traditional Siletz Indian fishing sites; wrote, colored, scanned, and put student reports and papers online about local salmon populations; took photographs and videos; conducted background research; and documented results of these processes on the School's PEAS website.

     The Classroom on the Siletz River Day project is intended to be a model that can be used by other Oregon schools and communities--perhaps in a series of coordinated single-day events, as with the annual Audubon Society bird count.

8) Is there a website for this program?  If so, what is the address?

      Websites have been created for both Classroom on the Siletz River Day events.  Files were created and placed online entirely by K-12 students.  Current address for the websites is:

www.ORWW.org/PEAS/SZ-Day/AAA.htm

9) Program goal(s) and objectives:

   The long-term goal of this project is to develop seasonal and/or annual opportunities to collaborate, as a community, in the study and management of local natural and cultural resources. Educational focus is the K-12 level, with adult experts, local residents, project staff, Siletz school teachers, and Siletz students working collaboratively and cooperatively to learn more about the local environment and to use that information to enhance local conditions, academic, and career opportunities.

    From Oregon Websites' perspective, the mission of the Siletz River Day project is to create a successful long-term model that can be used by other Oregon schools and communities--perhaps in a coordinated, single-day activity, as with the annual Audubon Society bird count.

    The specific objectives of the project are:

     1)  Create cooperative partnerships of local schools, experts, landowners, parents, businesses, and resource managers to enhance academic, employment and business opportunities for Oregon school children.

     2)  Use local research and environmental enhancement projects as a basis for community-based experiential learning of modern computational and communications technologies, including Internet, GIS, and GPS.

    3)  Develop community-based activities to systematically research, record, and communicate the status of local salmon-bearing streams.

    4)  Use existing multi-disciplinary curricula, local environments, and a network of volunteered expertise to effect school savings in costs for planned field trips and other off-site educational activities.

    5)  Help develop information and recommendations that can be used to enhance local natural and cultural environments.

10) If applicable, please identify the program's approximate start date (month/year), significant milestone dates, and program end date (month/year):

Start date                           September, 1997
Siletz River Day I                May, 1998
Siletz River Day II              April, 1999
Siletz River Day III             April, 2000
End date                             June, 2018      (Program planned for min. 20 year period.)

11) Identify other groups or agencies you know of that are conducting a similar program in the same geographic area as yours:

    No other programs similar to this exist in western Oregon.

12) What is the program's average annual budget?  Estimate the percentage of annual budget potentially available for Willamette Basin efforts?

    The average Oregon Websites and Watershed budget for this project has been about $28,000 for each of its three years of existence.  Products of this model are freely available to WRI, but primary resources are not available for distribution.

13) If the program finances individual projects, identify upper limit on individual project costs and criteria for project selection/funding.

    There are no upper limits on individual projects.  Criteria are available funding and consistency with project mission and goals.

14) If your organization's programs offer technical assistance and in-kind services, please describe.

    Technical assistance and in-kind services are occasionally offered, depending on need and availability of resources.

15) Are there significant obstacles or barriers to success in implementation of this program? If so, describe.

    1)  Funding.

    2)  Competition (rather than collaboration) among existing programs.

    3)  Agency distrust of new and/or innovative programs.