Thursday meeting planned to describe restrictionsThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host an information-sharing meeting Thursday to explain details of its proposal to repair two jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River.

The Corps’ proposal involves immediate repairs to the most critical sections of the jetties and a longer-term rehabilitation. On-site work could begin as early as spring 2005 and continue for two years. There currently is no schedule for the longer-term work.

To repair the jetties, the Corps would place about 30,000 tons of stone on the north jetty and 40,000 tons on the south jetty.

During construction, access to areas near the jetty may be closed to the public for safety reasons. Closures will be coordinated with state parks representatives in Oregon and Washington.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Port of Astoria offices, 1 Portway St. The public and interested agencies and organizations are invited to attend.

The Corps’ draft environmental assessment, addressing the environmental effects of the proposed action, is available for public review. To comment on or receive a copy of this document, write to: District Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District – Portland, Attn: CENWP-PM-E (Cook), P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946. A copy is available on the Internet at (https:// www.nwp.usace.army.mil/issues/jetty/cms/home.asp.)

Written comments should be mailed no later than Aug. 9, 2004, and refer to Corps ID number CENWP-PM-E-04-05.