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10 Critical Issues
10 Critical Issues

Prioritizing issues is a key to effecting positive change. Researches and stakeholders with the Pacific Northwest Ecosystem Research Consortium have identified the following ten issues as primary starting points for people interested in maintaining the quality of life in the Willamette Valley.

Future Scenarios
Three scenarios for what the Willamette Basin might be like in the year 2050 are presented to depict a plausible range of alternatives as defined by representative citizens of the Basin.

Habitats
In recent years, a deeper understanding of our impact on the landscape has prompted a recognition of how habitat benefits both people and wildlife. This section offers an overview of the primary habitats found in the Basin.

Conservation and Restoration Opportunities
How do we prioritize conservation and restoration opportunities?

Aquatic Life
The health of the Basin’s rivers and streams are indicators of overall ecosystem health. What are the components of healthy aquatic ecosystems?

Oregon Land Use Laws
How do land use laws protect valuable soil for agriculture and offer many benefits to urban citizens as well?

Agriculture
In the next century, how will Oregon farmers meet economic demands while finding sustainable methods of production?

Water Availability
Water will be a limiting factor across the American West in the next century. How is the Willamette Valley going to use its water?

Floodplain Restoration
Floodplain ecosystems are some of the most diverse and productive in the Basin. How can we maintain their health while still using them for water, transportation, and food production?

Dams and Revetments
What is gained and lost by taming rivers? How can we maintain both a healthy river and protect adjacent human activity?

Invasive Species
These are one of the least understood, yet most detrimental, threats to biodiversity. How can you help stem the tide of this alien invasion?