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PHatlu bv \»«Jr« Kdtnirr
Chuck Missar. facility manager at Spectra Physics, stands in wetlands that Spot tra Physit.s is
rebuilding tu compensate for lands lost when the company built a new plant.
Wetland mitigation to start
Spectra Physics slated to begin wetland restoration
By June Russell
Emerald Reporter
111 spring 1990, Spt'i tra I’hvsii s Retail Systems,
makers of the laser scanners at gmcery store
i heokout counters, began ground breaking in .1
new field: the restoration of wetlands
With the help of a barrage of 1 onsultants. Spec
tra Physics formulated a plan to mitigate, or com
pensate. for wetlands filled when the facilities
housing the company wen; built
At a cost of more than $850,000. the company
has moved 15.000 yards of dirt in more than 750
truckloads to create uplands, low lands, ash forest
and a lake on the 40 acre site along the Amazon
Channel in West Eugene.
And that’s just the beginning In the next year
more than 10,000 trees and shrubs will be plant
ed on the site and additional landscaping will be
done to give the project more natural lines
Spectra Physics will be responsible for the
maintenance of the mitigation proje< I for an addi
tional five years, to make certain the wetland res
toration is a success.
Spectra Physics' wetland mitigation project
provides an example ol the wetland legislation in
action and a focal point for concerns raised atiout
the future of common ial development in West
Eugene Much of the land set aside for coinmer
( ial development is partial wetlands, subjei t to
the same protective mitigation regulations affect
ing Spectra Physics
Under an amendment in 1977 to the Clean Wa
ter Act of 1972, the definition of wetlands was ex
panded to mi I tide areas saturated by surtace or
ground water ami supporting vegetation typit ally
adapted for life in saturated soil condition!)
Wetlands generalh include swamps bogs
marshes or the wet prairie grasslands tumid in
areas north of West tlth Avenue and west of
Daneho Street
The act is administered In the C S Knviron
mental Protection Agem v. whit h relies on the
Army (!orps of Tngineers to administer the permit
and enforcement provisions Anyone filling 111
regulated wetlands is required to mitigate for the
loss and compensate through restoration or i lea
lion of equal acres of wetlands
When Spectra Physics built their fat ility in
West Huge lie. no one involved in the permit and
planning pro< ess had ever heard of wetland regu
lations The city of F.ugeno encouraged the com
pany to fill-in and build on a 92-acre site in 1979
as an anchor for future high-tech development in
the area The company again sought a permit to
fill a portion of the site and build a second build
ing in 19H.r>
*‘About 19H7. a person from the city came
along .mil said, we think we have a problem, and
that problem is wetlands.' " said Chuck Missar.
facility manager at Spectra Physics "A study in
1987 had found wetlands on our site The conten
tion was that we filled in wetlands in 1979 and
1*187). and we had to mitigate for filling in to
build the (last buildings.
"We hired consultants and lawyers, and decid
Turn to WETLANDS. Page 16
^ — —-—■—
Patti Ad»cft«%c»nriM
OPEN LETTER FROM
THE PRESIDENT S TASK FORCE ON LESBIAN AND GAY CONCERNS
\Sc wish to acknowledge the courageous, jel of Greg Johnson. whose honesty serves as a statement that sexual onctila
non is no longer a reason to be silent We recognize a helcrosciist climate that supports and encourages hoslilil> to
ward Gass and lesbians prevails at the University of Oregon However, we hardly expected such an overt example ol
this to be displayed by the School of law administration Many of us have found ourselves in circumstances similar to
that ol l.reg Johnson at one time or another, the dillcrcnce being that we are mg usually subjected to the public humtlia
non imposed on Johnson Intimidation and silenc ing are more olten accomplished behind closed doors
It IS not uncommon tor departments to receive student complaints about classroom instructors It is. however, unheard
of lor a department to coerce an instructor into an admission of wrong doing tor identifying her or hull sell as a member
ol a protected class II an African American instructor had chosen to discuss ( oil Rights on Martin l.uthcr King s birth
day and had discussed her involvement in that movement, the University would have no doubt, supported these actions
And rightly so
The President s Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Concerns recently released a report documenting the discriminatory
practices and attitudes encountered by Lesbian and Gav students lacultv and stall it opies of the report arc available
through the President s oil ice i
President Hrand has been very clear about his commitment to diversity and tolerance on campus I he I aw School ad
ministration displayed its disrespect lor the President's agenda, its ,. .regard lor Univeisny policies, and its obvious con
tempt for Lesbians ami (.ass
1^ unlortunate message conveyed by the actions of the I aw School administration is that it is permissible to silence
certain individuals by virtue of their mtnorttv status Gays and Lesbians are being told to keep cjuiet and run back into the
closet This is the sante administration which has historically devalued \lrican Americans, Hispanics and women In
tentional or not. the l-a» School has created a dehumanizing atmosphere thai has a chilling died on all of us ami is an
embarrassment to a progressive educational institution
The President's task Force on lesbian and Guv ( nncerns. I mversitv of Oregon
November ’7. I UNO
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