From: Subject: FR Doc 07-3906 Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:43:45 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-3906.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc 07-3906 
[Federal Register: August 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 154)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 45062-45063]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au07-110]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-930-6350-DP-047H; HAG-07-0140]

=20
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact=20
Statement for the Revision of Resource Management Plans of the Western=20
Oregon Bureau of Land Management Districts

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the=20
Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Revested Oregon and=20
California Railroad and Reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands Act=20
(O&C Lands Act), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a=20
Draft Resource Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement=20
(DRMP/DEIS) to revise selected portions of the 1995 Resource Management=20
Plans (RMPs) for six BLM districts in western Oregon. These revisions=20
will address the sustained yield timber production provisions of the=20
O&C Lands Act as well as resource protection provisions of the=20
Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. The alternatives in the=20
DRMP/DEIS also comply with the 2003 settlement agreement between the=20
Secretary of the Interior and the American Forest Resource Council=20
(AFRC, et al v. Clarke).

DATES: The 90-day public comment period on the DRMP/DEIS will begin the=20
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of=20
Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. Comments must be received=20
on or before the end of the comment period at the address listed below.=20
Public meetings to gather comments on the DRMP/DEIS will be held in a=20
number of locations throughout the western Oregon planning area. Public=20
meetings and any other public involvement activities will be announced=20
at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news=20
releases, newsletter mailings, and on the Western Oregon Plan Revisions=20
Web site at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3Dleaving=
FR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/or/plans/wopr/index=
.php.


ADDRESSES: To request paper or compact disc copies of the document,=20
contact: the BLM's Western Oregon Plan Revisions Team, 333 SW. First=20
Avenue, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208; fax: (503) 808-6630=20
(please address fax to: ``Western Oregon Plan Revisions DEIS''). The=20
DRMP/DEIS may also be accessed on line at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3Dleaving=
FR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/or/plans/wopr/index=
.php.
 Copies of the DRMP/DEIS will also be available for=20

inspection at public libraries and BLM offices in western Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Hoffmeister, Western Oregon Plan=20
Revisions Public Outreach Coordinator; telephone (503) 808-6629; or e-
mail: orwopr@or.blm.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DRMP/DEIS for the Revision of Resource=20
Management Plans of the Western Oregon BLM Districts has developed and=20
analyzed four alternatives (including the No Action Alternative) for=20
managing approximately 2,550,000 acres of Federal land, mostly revested=20
Oregon and California Railroad and Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands,=20
within the Western Oregon planning area. BLM has analyzed revision of=20
six RMPs with this single EIS. The RMPs being revised are the Salem,=20
Eugene, Roseburg, Medford, and Coos Bay District RMPs and the Klamath=20
Falls Resource Area RMP in the Lakeview District.
    Public comments received during scoping played an important role in=20
shaping the alternatives, which are described and analyzed in the DRMP/
DEIS.
    The No Action Alternative maintains the decisions in the existing=20
RMPs. Alternative One creates late-successional management areas=20
similar to the large late-successional reserves in the no action=20
alternative, applies new criteria for designating the width of riparian=20
management areas, and provides for intensive forest management on other=20
areas.
    Alternative Two designates late successional management areas based=20
on habitat requirements for the northern spotted owl and marbled=20
murrelet,

[[Page 45063]]

applies new criteria for designating the width of riparian management=20
areas, and provides for intensive timber management on other areas.
    Alternative Three manages most of the land base for timber=20
production under long (240-360 years, depending on the area) rotations,=20
or uneven-aged management in fire-prone ecosystems, in order to provide=20
late-successional habitat across the landscape. Six sub-alternatives,=20
which are variations of the three action alternatives, are also=20
analyzed.
    The major resource management plan issues include:
     Providing a sustainable supply of wood and other forest=20
products as mandated by the O&C Lands Act, while also meeting other=20
applicable laws.
     Providing for conservation of species listed under the=20
Endangered Species Act.
     Contributing to meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act=20
and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
     Reducing the risk of wildfire and integrating fire back=20
into the ecosystem.
    The preferred alternative designates 93 of the 124 existing and=20
potential Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) considered in=20
detail. Many of the ACECs are also designated Research Natural Areas=20
(RNA) or Outstanding Natural Areas (ONA).
    In the Salem District, 19 existing ACECs are carried forward from=20
the Salem District RMP: Crabtree Complex RNA/ONA (1,231 acres); Elk=20
Creek (784 acres); Forest Peak RNA (155 acres); Grass Mountain RNA (930=20
acres); High Peak--Moon Creek RNA (1,490 acres); Jackson Bend (15=20
acres); Little Sink (81 acres); Lost Prairie (61 acres); Marys Peak ONA=20
(353 acres); Middle Santiam Terrace (182 acres); Nestucca River=20
(1,163); Rickreall Ridge (368 acres); Saddleback Mountain RNA (300=20
acres); Sandy River Gorge ONA (9,780 acres); The Butte RNA (39 acres);=20
Valley of the Giants ONA (1,311 acres); Walker Flat (11 acres); Yampo=20
(13 acres); and Yaquina Head ONA (91 acres). Five existing ACECs are=20
not carried forward from the Salem District RMP: North Santiam (15=20
acres); Soosap Meadows (343 acres); White Rock Fen (55 acres); Wilhoit=20
Springs (133 acres); and Williams Lake (90 acres). Six potential ACECs=20
are designated: Little North Fork Wilson River (1,822 acres); Marys=20
Peak B (75 acres); Mill Creek Ridge (114 acres); Molalla Meadows (205=20
acres); Silt Creek (140 acres); and Waterloo (9 acres). Five potential=20
ACECs are not designated: Beaver Creek (44 acres); Lower Scappoose=20
Eagle (179 acres); McCully Mountain (101 acres); Snow Peak (1,667=20
acres); and Wells Island (73 acres).
    In the Eugene District, 9 existing ACECs are carried forward from=20
the Eugene District RMP: Camas Swale RNA (308 acres); Cottage Grove=20
Lake RFI (15 acres); Fox Hollow RNA (159 acres); Grassy Mountain (74=20
acres); Heceta Sand Dunes ONA (210 acres); Horse Rock Ridge RNA (378=20
acres); Hult Marsh (177 acres); Mohawk RNA (290 acres); and Upper Elk=20
Meadows RNA (217 acres). Three existing ACECs are not carried forward=20
from the Eugene District RMP: Coburg Hills RFI (855 acres); Cougar=20
Mountain Yew Grove (90 acres); and Dorena Lake RFI (18 acres). Six=20
potential ACECs are designated: Dorena Prairie (8 acres); Esmond Lake=20
(86 acres); Lorane Ponderosa Pine (104 acres); McGowan Meadow (75=20
acres); Oak Basin Prairies (223 acres); and Willamette Valley Prairie/
Oak and Pine Area (1,486 acres). Two potential ACECs are not=20
designated: Low Elevation Headwaters of the McKenzie River (9,765=20
acres); and Taylor Creek (155 acres).
    In the Roseburg District, 8 existing ACECs are carried forward from=20
the Roseburg District RMP: Bear Gulch RNA (351 acres); Beatty Creek RNA=20
(864 acres); Bushnell-Irwin Rocks RNA (1,085 acres); Myrtle Island RNA=20
(19 acres); North Bank (6,162 acres); North Myrtle Creek RNA (453=20
acres); Red Pond RNA (141 acres); and Tater Hill RNA (303 acres). Two=20
existing ACECs are not carried forward from the Roseburg RMP: North=20
Umpqua River (1,791 acres); and Umpqua River Wildlife Area (855 acres).=20
One potential ACEC is designated: Callahan Meadows (34 acres). Two=20
potential ACECs are not designated: China Ditch (60 acres); and Stouts=20
Creek (64 acres).
    In the Coos Bay District, 9 existing ACECs are carried forward from=20
the Coos Bay RMP: Cherry Creek RNA (592 acres); China Wall (302 acres);=20
Hunter Creek Bog (721 acres); New River (876 acres); North Fork Chetco=20
(603 acres); North Fork Coquille River (311 acres); North Fork Hunter=20
Creek (1,757 acres); North Spit (682 acres); and Tioga Creek (42=20
acres). Two existing ACECs are not carried forward from the Coos Bay=20
RMP: Upper Rock Creek (472 acres); and Wassen Creek (3,394 acres).=20
Three potential ACECs are designated: Rocky Peak (1,827 acres); Roman=20
Nose (205 acres); and Steel Creek (1,381 acres). Two potential ACECs=20
are not designated: Brownson Ridge (399 acres); and Euphoria Ridge (241=20
acres). In the Medford District, 18 existing ACECs are carried forward=20
from the Medford RMP: Bobby Creek RNA (1,915 acres); Brewer Spruce RNA=20
(1,707 acres); Crooks Creek (147 acres); Eight Dollar Mountain (1,249=20
acres); French Flat (651 acres); Grayback Glades RNA (1,022 acres);=20
Holton Creek RNA (421 acres); King Mountain Rock Garden (68 acres);=20
Lost Lake RNA (387 acres); North Fork Silver Creek RNA (499 acres);=20
Oregon Gulch RNA (1,051 acres); Pipe Fork RNA (516 acres); Poverty Flat=20
(29 acres); Rough and Ready (1,189 acres); Round Top Butte RNA (605=20
acres); Scotch Creek RNA (1,799 acres); Table Rocks ONA (1,244 acres);=20
and Woodcock Bog RNA (265 acres). Six existing ACECs are not carried=20
forward from the Medford RMP: Baker Cypress (11 acres); Hole-In-The-
Rock (63 acres); Hoxie Creek (255 acres); Moon Prairie (92 acres);=20
Sterling Mine Ditch (143 acres); and Tin Cup (83 acres). Five potential=20
ACECs are designated: Cobleigh Road (261 acres); Dakubetede Wildland=20
(1,796 acres); East Fork Whiskey Creek (3,188 acres); Pickett Creek (32=20
acres); and Waldo-Takilma (1,760 acres). Two potential ACECs are not=20
designated: Long Gulch (1,020 acres); and Reeves Creek (117 acres).
    In the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District, 5=20
existing ACECs are carried forward from the Klamath Falls RMP: Miller=20
Creek (939 acres); Old Baldy RNA (355 acres); Upper Klamath River=20
(5,092 acres); Wood River Wetland (3,225 acres); and Yainax Butte (707=20
acres). Four potential ACECs are designated: Bumpheads (112 acres);=20
Four Mile Wetland (1,173 acres); Tunnel Creek (72 acres); and Upper=20
Klamath River Addition (910 acres).
    Detailed information on resource use limitations for each ACEC is=20
contained in Chapter 2 and Appendix M of the DRMP/DEIS.
    Comments and information submitted on the DRMP/DEIS, including=20
names, e-mail addresses, and street addresses of respondents, will be=20
available for public review and disclosure at the above address. Before=20
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal=20
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your=20
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be=20
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your=20
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public=20
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Edward W. Shepard,
State Director, OR/WA, USDI Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 07-3906 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]

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