[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 47 (Friday, March 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14414-14416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5641]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORE00000 L63500000.DO0000.LXSS021H0000.HAG11-XXXX]
Notice of Intent To Revise Resource Management Plans and an
Associated Environmental Impact Statement for Six Western Oregon
Districts of the Bureau of Land Management
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon State
Office, Portland, Oregon, intends to revise six Resource Management
Plans (RMPs) with a single associated Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Western Oregon Planning Area and by this notice is
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues. The Western Oregon Planning Area consists
of the Coos Bay District, Eugene District, Medford District, Roseburg
District, Salem District, and the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the
Lakeview District. Although this document identifies the scale of
planning as six RMPs with a single EIS, public input is being sought on
whether a different approach to scale--such as by district, region, or
type of forest--should be considered.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP and
associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until
June 7, 2012. The BLM has not yet scheduled public meetings for this
plan revision. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will
be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media,
newspapers, and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/. In
order to be included in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received
prior to the close of the 90-day scoping period or 30 days after the
last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide
additional opportunities for public participation and comment upon
publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the Western Oregon RMPs/EIS by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/or/plans.
Email: BLM_OR_Forestry_Plan@blm.gov.
Fax: 503-808-6333.
Mail: P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Oregon
State Office, Public Room, 333 SW. 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97204.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: And/or to have your name added to our
mailing list, contact Michael Campbell, Western Oregon RMP Outreach
Coordinator, telephone 503-808-6031; address P.O. Box 2965, Portland,
Oregon 97208; email BLM_OR_Forestry_Plan@blm.gov. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
State Office, Portland, Oregon, intends to revise six RMPs with an
associated EIS for the Western Oregon Planning Area, announces the
beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and
planning criteria. The purpose of the public scoping process is to
determine the scope of issues to be addressed by the environmental
analysis, including alternatives, and the significant issues related to
the planning process. The planning area for the RMPs includes
approximately 2,550,000 acres of BLM-administered lands and 69,000
acres of split-estate, where the BLM only manages the Federal mineral
estate.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) requires
the development, maintenance, and revision of land use plans. The vast
majority of the BLM-administered lands in the planning area are
Revested Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) lands, or Reconveyed Coos
Bay Wagon Road (CBWR) lands, and are managed under the statutory
authority of the Oregon and California Revested Railroad Lands Act of
1937 (O&C Act, Pub. L. 75-405) and FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
Preparation of the RMPs and EIS will conform to the above land
management laws and will also comply with other Federal laws,
including, but not limited to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the
Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Congress,
in 1866, established a land grant to promote the completion of the
Oregon and California Railroad from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco,
California. In 1916, Congress revested, or brought back into Federal
ownership, the title to approximately 2.2 million acres of land deeded
to the Oregon and California Railroad after the company violated the
terms of the land grant. Congress revested about 93,000 acres of Coos
Bay Wagon Road lands to the United States due to similar circumstances
in 1919. The O&C Act of 1937 placed management jurisdiction of these
lands under the United States Department of the Interior.
In 1994, the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA)
adopted the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) to provide coordinated
management direction for the lands administered by the BLM and the
USDA's Forest Service and to adopt complimentary approaches of other
Federal agencies within the range of the northern spotted owl. The NWFP
included a coordinated, comprehensive ecosystem management strategy,
the purpose of which was to meet dual needs: The need for long-term
health of forest habitat and the need for a steady supply of forest
products.
The six western Oregon BLM districts completed RMPs in 1995 that
incorporated the land use allocations and Standards and Guidelines from
the NWFP. In 2008, the BLM completed RMP revisions for the six western
Oregon districts. Pending litigation seeks vacatur of the 2008 RMPs.
The BLM intends to revise its RMPs notwithstanding the pending
litigation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a revised recovery
plan for the northern spotted owl on June 28, 2011. The plan contains
recommendations for retaining and restoring owl habitat in Federal,
State and private forestland. The FWS anticipates revising its critical
habitat designation for the northern spotted owl and issuing a proposed
rule in February 2012.
The FWS completed a recovery plan for the marbled murrelet in 1997
and revised its critical habitat for the marbled murrelet in October
2011. On August 22, 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service adopted a final ESA recovery
plan for upper
[[Page 14415]]
Willamette Chinook salmon and steelhead.
The revisions to the existing RMPs will determine how the BLM will
actively manage BLM-administered lands in western Oregon to further
recovery of threatened and endangered species, provide clean water,
restore fire-adapted ecosystems, produce a sustained yield of timber
products, and provide for recreation opportunities.
Through the public participation process, the BLM will work with
interested parties to identify the most appropriate management
direction for BLM-administered lands in western Oregon in accordance
with the provisions of relevant laws and considering local, regional,
and national interests. The first step in this process is formal public
scoping which will help identify planning issues and provide an
opportunity to receive public comment on the scope of planning, and
proposed planning criteria.
Planning issues are disputes or controversies about existing and
potential land and resource allocations, levels of resource use,
production, and related management practices. Issues include resource
use, development, and protection opportunities for consideration in the
preparation of RMPs. These issues may stem from new information or
changed circumstances, and the need to reassess the appropriate mix of
allowable uses. In considering these issues, the BLM is seeking to
explore how its discretion under the various laws that guide resource
management will be exercised with regard to the intensity and frequency
of forest management at a landscape scale to meet a sustainable supply
of forest products, recovery of listed species, and watershed
management on BLM-administered lands suitable for timber harvest.
Planning issues will be addressed in the alternatives set forth in the
RMP/EIS. The BLM has identified the following preliminary planning
issues which may be refined as a result of future public participation
opportunities, collaborative efforts, and comments received during
scoping:
Vegetation--How should BLM-administered lands be managed,
both temporally and spatially, to provide a sustainable supply of wood
and other forest products that contribute to the economic stability of
communities?
Habitat--How should the BLM-administered lands be managed
to contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species and
provide for other rare and little known late-successional associated
species?
Watershed management and water quality--How should BLM-
administered lands be managed to contribute to restoring and
maintaining the chemical physical and biological integrity of the
Nation's waters, as well as to a safe drinking water supply?
Wildland fire and fuels--How should BLM-administered lands
be managed to reduce the risk of wildfires to communities and integrate
fire back into the ecosystem?
Economics and Community Support--How should BLM-
administered-lands be managed to contribute to local economies?
Off-highway vehicle management and public access--How
should the BLM-administered lands be managed to meet the demand for
off-highway vehicle use while protecting other resources and recreation
uses? How should transportation networks to and across the BLM-
administered lands be evaluated?
The BLM has also identified preliminary planning criteria to guide
the development of the RMPs. These criteria may be modified or other
criteria identified after the public scoping process. The public is
invited to comment on the following preliminary planning criteria:
Lands addressed in the RMP will be public lands (including
split estate lands) administered by the BLM;
The BLM will protect resources in accordance with FLPMA
and other applicable laws and regulations;
The BLM will examine options for the scope and scale of
the plan revisions for the six western Oregon districts including, but
not limited to a singular RMP, district-by-district RMPs, or wet versus
dry forests RMPs;
The BLM will consider and coordinate land use plan
decisions to be consistent with existing plans and policies of local,
state, Federal, and tribal agencies to the extent those plans and
policies are consistent with the purposes, policies, and programs of
Federal laws and regulations;
The BLM will consider applicable recovery actions
contained in the FWS and NOAA Fisheries Service recovery plans and will
also consider critical habitat for threatened and endangered species;
The BLM will consider how to manage BLM-administered lands
that contain wilderness characteristics;
Where existing planning decisions are still valid, those
decisions may remain unchanged and incorporated into the new RMP;
The plans will recognize valid existing rights;
The BLM will consider withholding lands with important
resource values and/or significant levels of investment from mineral
leasing and withdrawing lands from mineral location
Native American tribal consultations will be conducted in
accordance with policy and tribal concerns will be given due
consideration. The planning process will include the consideration of
any impacts on Indian trust assets;
Alternatives will be designed to meet the purpose and need
for the plan, resolve planning issues, and comply with existing laws.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the
BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To
be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of the 90-day
scoping period or within 30 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time.
While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. The minutes and list of attendees for each
scoping meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days
after the meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he
or she expressed. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be
addressed in the plan and will place them into one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS as
to the disposition of proposed issues. The public is also encouraged to
help identify any management questions and concerns that should be
addressed in the plan. The BLM will work collaboratively with
interested parties to identify the management decisions that are best
suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns.
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in the planning process: Timber, wildlife and
fisheries, economics, botany, climate change/carbon sequestration,
lands and realty, hydrology, soils, cultural
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(including tribal), archeology, recreation, fire and fuels management,
energy, roads, grazing and wild horses, and geographic information
systems.
As part of this RMP process, the BLM will analyze areas for
potential designation as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)
in accordance with 43 CFR 1610.7-2. Public nominations for potential
ACECs to be considered in these revisions must be made by June 7, 2012.
Edward W. Shepard,
State Director, Oregon/Washington, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-5641 Filed 3-8-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P