All project requests shall be reviewed by the MAC, the
Department, and additional review team(s) as deemed appropriate by the
Department and MAC. Any project recommended for funding to the Commission
shall, at the minimum, meet the following conditions:
(1) All project applications will be
evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria: Clarity, technical
soundness, cost-effectiveness, addressing the biological needs of HCP covered
species, addressing conservation strategies identified by the PFA HCP,
watershed context, readiness, measurability, available funding, capacity of the
applicant, and any other metric deemed appropriate by the MAC or the
Department.
(2) Project applications
shall provide, at a minimum, the following:
(a) Well-defined and measurable
goals,
(b) Measures to achieve
project goals,
(c) A list of
project proponents and collaborating and participating partners,
(d) The location and duration of the project,
including the beginning and the ending date,
(e) Estimated project costs, including the
amount to be funded by the PFA Mitigation Fund and sources of other
funding,
(f) A description of other
conservation or natural resource benefits, if any, that may be supported by the
proposed project,
(g) A monitoring
plan to measure performance of the implemented project, and
(h) A list of necessary project permits and
copies of collected permits, or the anticipated actions to collect the required
permits. All Grantees bear sole responsibility to seek and obtain all necessary
permits or authorizations that may be required to carry out such
projects.
(3) The
Department, at direction of the MAC, shall not recommend a project for funding
to the Commission if the Department determines the project to be:
(a) Inconsistent with the intent of Oregon
Laws 2022, Chapter 33, Section 11, and the Private Forest Accord Report dated
February 2, 2022, and published by the State of Oregon Forestry Department on
February 7, 2022,
(b) Contrary to
sound biological, scientific, and engineering principles,
(c) Proposing inappropriate measures or
methods to accomplish the project objectives,
(d) Inconsistent with local, regional, and
statewide laws, including land use planning goals, and governments'
acknowledged land use plans, or
(e)
Violating Department or State of Oregon goals, policies, administrative rules,
or management plans approved or adopted by the Commission.
(4) Projects recommended for funding shall
use the best available science and management practices, as determined by the
Department, including but not limited to the following:
(a) Demonstrating sound principles of
watershed and/or species management,
(b) Using methods adapted to the project
locale,
(c) Complying with state
land use planning goals and is compatible with acknowledged comprehensive plans
as required under ORS
197.180, and
(d) Following professionally accepted
practices resulting in ecological or watershed benefits.
(5) The Department may reject incomplete
project applications.
(6) All
projects must provide a benefit to one or more HCP covered species.
(7) The Department, the MAC, or the
Commission may require additional information to evaluate the
project.
