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Benton County Riparian and Wetlands Project –
Advisory Groups

Stakeholder Advisory Group

Current Advisory Group Members – If you are interested in learning more or interested in the specifics of joining the Stakeholder Group, please contact Adam Stebbins, Riparian and Wetlands Project Lead at Adam.Stebbins@co.benton.or.us or call 541-766-6085

(Advisory Group members will be selected by the Community Development Department of Benton County, with review by the Benton County Board of Commissioners; members represent the diverse areas of the County).

Current Advisory Group Members

Organization	Applicable Persons	Background/Area of Expertise
Benton County	Planning Commission member(s)	Volunteers with county and state land use planning and review experience
Benton County Natural Areas & Parks	Director, with staff serving as alternatives	Management and protection of riparian and wetlands resources in County Parks. Assessment of potential conservation areas
Benton County Public Works	Staff and managers as assigned	Road and roadside maintenance along riparian/wetland areas; culvert restoration program
Watershed Councils	Marys River and Long Tom Watershed Councils staff ( various staff volunteers)	Watershed monitoring and restoration projects; provides up to date riparian and wetland information and opportunities for partnerships
Landowners with stream and wetlands	County resident volunteers	Input on process and development, local knowledge
Cities	Staff from interested cities; likely planning and development staff	Direct work with Adair, Philomath, and Monroe. Adair and Monroe will be undergoing local wetland inventories during the project period
Audubon Society	John Gaylord, Member	Represents Corvallis Audubon Society; provide project information and ideas, such as work on the Hesthavn Nature Center
Lane Council of Governments	Denise Kalakay, Water Resources team lead	GIS/LiDAR affiliated staff working on local wetland inventories for Adair and Monroe, 2009-2010
US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water	Rich Sumner	Wetland and riparian project work management and research
Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife	Karen Hans, fish biologist; possible habitat conservation biologist and grasslands biologist	Fish use areas, habitat buffers to improve riparian areas
Benton Soil & Water Conservation District	Donna Schmitz	Diverse experience in streamside fencing and restoration projects across Benton County
Oregon State University	Dr. Paul Adamus (ex. officio), professor and wetland professional	Delineating, monitoring and managing wetlands; author of several books; expert in Oregon and Benton County wetlands
Dept. of Land Conservation and Development	Amanda Putnam, Natural Resources Specialist	Provides guidance on State Land Use Planning Rules and Statutes; Inter-agency coordination support to understand jurisdictional authority and overlap
Dept. of State Lands Technical Staff	Janet Morlan (ex officio) State Lands Wetlands Division	Wetland specialist
US Fish and Wildlife	Jarod Jebousek (ex officio)	Off-refuge voluntary wetland restoration; discrete lands; Muddy Creek wetlands focus

The Advisory Group will meet monthly or as necessary to provide input to County Staff to:

• Finalize scope and objectives of project
• Inform the assessment and detailed mapping of current riparian/wetland conditions (GIS, LiDAR, and other data)
• Determine program elements including land use code through an “options analysis” process to meet comprehensive plan goals
• Determine the scope and goals of ground truthing field assessments
• Identify information gaps of importance for future work to enhance the county riparian/wetlands program
• Inform and review county policy and program details for riparian/wetland planning and protection adoption by Board of Commissioners

See Work Charge (PDF)

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