[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 231 (Friday, December 2, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-29623]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: December 2, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[OR-013-02-4410-13: G5-036]
Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Klamath Falls Resource Area.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Proposed Resource Management Plan/
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Klamath Falls Resource
Area of the Lakeview District, Oregon.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1970, section 202(f) of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976, and 43 CFR part 1610, a proposed final resource
management plan/environmental impact statement (RMP/EIS) for the
Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District, Oregon, has been
prepared and is available to the public. The RMP/EIS describes and
analyzes future options for managing approximately 212,000 acres of
partially forested public land and 21,000 acres of non-federal surface
ownership with federal mineral estate administered by the Bureau of
Land Management in Klamath County, just east of the Cascade Range in
southern Oregon.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The draft RMP/EIS was available for public review
from August 21, 1992 to December 15, 1992. Written comments were
received from agencies, organizations, and individuals. Oral comments
were also heard in four public meetings, and at numerous meetings with
interested groups, organizations, and individuals. The four public
meetings were held in Klamath Falls, Keno, and Bonanza, Oregon. In
addition, numerous meetings and formal briefings were held by Oregon
BLM State Office personnel. All comments provided were considered
during the preparation of the proposed final RMP/EIS.
Copies of the proposed final RMP/EIS and a summary of it may be
obtained from the Klamath Falls Resource Area office. Public reading
copies will be available for review at the public libraries in Klamath
Falls (Oregon) and Redding (California), the Klamath County Office
Building, all government document depository libraries, all BLM State
Offices, most BLM District Offices, and at the following BLM locations:
Office of External Affairs, Main Interior Building, Room 5600, 18th and
C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240
Public Room, Oregon State Office, 1515 S.W. 5th, Portland, Oregon 97201
The Klamath Falls Resource Area BLM will host an open house for the
public on Wednesday, November 30, 1994 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Thursday
December 1, 1994 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Staff will be available to
answer questions, clarify confusing points, explain rationales, discuss
points of concern, and generally assist the public in understanding the
proposed plan. The open house will be held at the Klamath Falls
Resource Area BLM office at 2795 Anderson Avenue, Building 25, Klamath
Falls, Oregon.
Protests should be sent to the Director (760), Bureau of Land
Management, 18th Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20240, within the 30 day
protest period. The period for filing a plan protest begins when the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes in the Federal Register its
Notice of Availability of the final environmental impact statement
concerning the proposed resource management plan or amendment. The
protest and comment period will end 30 days after the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register, or on December 27, 1994, whichever is later. There are some
restrictions on the protest process, so anyone wishing to protest needs
to carefully read the introductory letter to the document. To be
considered complete, your protest must contain, at a minimum, the
following information:
The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the
person filing the protest.
A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
A statement of the part or parts of the plan being protested.
A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that were
submitted during the planning process, or a reference to the date
the issue or issues were discussed for the record.
A concise statement explaining why the BLM State Director's
decision is believed to be incorrect.
At the end of the 30-day protest period, the BLM may issue a Record
of Decision approving implementation of any portions of the proposed
plan not under protest. Approval will be withheld on any portion of the
plan under protest, until the protest has been resolved.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. Barron Bail, Area Manager, Klamath
Falls Resource Area office, Phone (503) 883-6916.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed final RMP/EIS describes and
analyzes seven alternatives to resolve the following issues: (1) Timber
production practices, (2) old growth forests and habitat diversity, (3)
threatened and endangered and other special status species habitat
(including habitat for the northern spotted owl), (4) special
management areas, (5) visual resources, (6) stream/riparian/water
quality, (7) recreation resources, (8) wild and scenic rivers, (9) land
tenure, (10) rural interface areas, (11) range management, and (12)
proposed hydroelectric or alternative energy projects. The issues are
analyzed in seven distinct alternatives that range from high resource
production to high resource protection.
The overall objective of the plan is to manage the resources in the
Klamath Falls Resource Area on an ecosystem basis. Within that
ecosystem management framework, the proposed final resource management
plan would maintain or improve water quality through a system of
Riparian Reserves and best management practices.
Approximately 51,400 acres would be managed for timber production,
with restrictions to protect or enhance other resource values. The
annual probable timber sale quantity would be 1.11 million cubic feet
or 6.31 million boardfeet (1.03 mmcf or 5.91 MMBF west of Highway 97
and 0.08 mmcf or 0.40 MMBF east of Highway 97). To contribute to
biological diversity, standing trees, snags, and dead and down woody
material would be retained.
Management would provide 12,978 animal unit months in the livestock
grazing program.
In addition to protecting listed or proposed threatened and
endangered species as required by the Endangered Species Act, the BLM
would manage habitats of federal candidate, state listed, and Bureau
sensitive species to maintain their populations at a level that would
avoid federal listing.
Management would provide for a wide variety of recreation
opportunities, with particular emphasis on enhancement of opportunities
for dispersed recreation activities including hunting, fishing, and
hiking, as well as providing outdoor recreation activities in areas
that are both close to population centers and accessible by vehicles.
Most BLM-administered lands would remain available for mineral
leasing and location, but 300 acres would be closed to leasing for oil
and gas and geothermal resources, and 6,400 acres would be closed to
location of mining claims.
The proposed final RMP/EIS proposes designation of four new areas
of critical environmental concern with the noted restrictions.
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Mineral
Rights--area name Acres Vegetation ORV use Mining ---------------------------
harvest location Leasing Of-way
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Miller Creek................. 2,000 R P R R R
Yainax Butte................. 720 R R R R NC
Upper Klamath River.......... 4,960 R R R R R
Old Baldy.................... 520 P P P R P
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NC = No Change from existing situation.
R = Use is allowed but with restrictions.
P = Use is prohibited.
The Miller Creek area would be designated an area of critical
environmental concern to maintain, protect, and/or restore natural
processes, wildlife, and scenic values. The area would not be available
to planned timber harvest. Livestock grazing would be restricted.
Mineral leasing would be subject to no surface occupancy. The area
would be closed to off-highway vehicle use (except Round Valley Road
area).
The upper Klamath River area, from rim to rim, would be designated
an area of critical environmental concern to maintain, protect, and/or
restore historic, cultural, scenic, fisheries, and wildlife populations
and habitat. The area would not be available for planned timber
harvest. Off-highway vehicle use would be limited to designated roads.
Grazing would continue at or near current levels. Mineral leasing would
be subject to no surface occupancy. The area would not be available for
hydroelectric development. The area would be managed for semi-primitive
motorized recreation opportunities.
The Yainax Butte area would be designated an area of critical
environmental concern to maintain, protect, and/or restore natural
process and systems. The area would not be available for planned timber
harvest. The area would be open to livestock grazing, but could be
fenced if necessary to protect plant communities. Off-highway vehicle
use would be limited to existing roads. Mineral leasing would be
subject to no surface occupancy. The area would be managed for semi-
primitive motorized recreation opportunities.
The Old Baldy area would be designated an area of critical
environmental concern/research natural area to preserve, protect, and/
or restore natural processes or systems. The area would not be
available for timber harvest, firewood, or salvage sales. The area
would be closed to off-highway vehicle use. The area would remain free
of cattle use. Mineral leasing would be subject to no surface occupancy
and closed to mineral entry. The area would be managed for semi-
primitive motorized recreation opportunities.
There were five potential areas of critical environmental concern
identified that met the Bureau area of critical environmental concern
criteria of relevance and importance that are not included in the
proposed final resource management plan for various reasons. They
include: Surveyor Forest Area, 150 acres; Tunnel Creek, 280 acres;
Spencer Creek, 320 acres; The Bumpheads, 50 acres; and Pacific Crest
Trail, 620 acres.
One river segment covering 11.0 miles was found suitable for
designation under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and 23.2
miles of rivers that were found eligible for designation and studied by
the BLM were found not suitable for designation in the proposed final
resource management plan. After the proposed resource management plan
went to press, the Secretary of the Interior designated the 11.0 miles
of the upper Klamath River as scenic under section 2(a)(ii) of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This designation was signed by the
Secretary of the Interior on September 22, 1994. Designation of the
upper Klamath River is not protestable in the RMP protest period as the
Oregon State Director of the BLM does not have the authority to
overturn a decision made by the Secretary of the Interior.
Public participation has occurred throughout the planning process.
A Notice of Intent was filed in the Federal Register, in September
1992. Since that time, several public meetings, mailings, and briefings
were conducted to solicit comments and ideas. The comments provided
throughout the process have been considered.
This Notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for
designation of areas of critical environmental concern and the
requirements of the final revised Department of the Interior--
Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Eligibility, Classification,
and Management of Rivers (FR Vol. 47, No. 173, pg. 39454).
Dated: November 11, 1994.
Terry H. Sodorff,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 94-29623 Filed 12-01-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P
