Agate Desert Vernal Pool Functional Assessment Methodology

On January 26, 2011, the Service signed a programmatic biological opinion (USFWS 2011) on the Service’s Vernal Pool Conservation Strategy allowing for an ODSL General Permit and an Army Corps of Engineers’ (ACE) Regional General Permit to be issued for wetland fill placement that could affect vernal pools. The intent of the biological opinion was to be supportive and consistent all entities, private and government and non-profit, to pursue conservation and recovery of vernal pool associated species. The document identified that this functional assessment methodology would be critical in determining the appropriate mitigation ratio for compensation of vernal pool impacts. The updated Method reflects comments received from ACE, private consultants, and organizations such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and RVCOG during an outreach period in 2012.

In 2012, the Service began working to revise and finalize the vernal pool assessment guidelines. Comments from environmental consultants, practitioners of the Final Draft Functional Assessment Methodology, and other agency staff were sought to contribute to this final document. The same year, the Service and ODSL contracted Paul Adamus to revise a function formula and update scoring methods. The Service and ODSL also co-hosted two field sessions that involved field trials of the scoring and held a question and answer session with Paul Adamus. The updated Method has corrected errors in the spreadsheet, such as percent rank, but has not changed the frame of reference that is the foundation for these documents. A “vernal pool function calculator” has been developed as an addendum to the Method specifically for such regulatory uses. The URL for this calculator can be found at (http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/PERMITS/Pages/forms.aspx#Vernal_Pool_General_…).

To keep this Method current, the Service has created a Vernal Pool Information Network (VPIN), opened to the public, with the purpose to share information regarding recovery, current science, regulatory updates, regional planning endeavors, and conservation efforts and ideas concerning vernal pools in the Rogue Valley area. The Service anticipates this network will act as a forum for participants to communicate openly.

Approximately 70 participants representing state, local and federal agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), local landowners, along with teachers from local environmental studies programs and Southern Oregon University are presently on the communication list.