[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 222 (Friday, November 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-28198]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 18, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 

Availability of Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS), Medford, OR

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with section 202(f) of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 and section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, a Proposed Resource Management Plan/
Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) has been prepared for 
the Medford District BLM. The PRMP/FEIS describes and analyzes future 
options for managing approximately 867,000 acres, in Jackson, 
Josephine, Curry, Coos, and Douglas counties.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The Draft RMP/EIS was available for public review 
from August 1992 to December 21, 1992. Written comments were received 
from agencies, organizations, and individuals. All comments provided 
were considered during the preparation of the PRMP/FEIS.
    Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available for review in public 
libraries located throughout the planning area. Over 1400 copies will 
be mailed out to interested publics on the District's mailing list. 
Copies are also available from the Medford District Office, 3040 Biddle 
Road, Medford, Oregon, 97504, Phone (503) 770-2200. Public reading 
copies will be available from the following BLM locations:

Office of External Affairs, Main Interior Building, Room 5600, 406 L. 
Street, Washington, D.C. 20240
Oregon State Office, 1515 S.W., 5th, Portland, OR 97504
Medford District Office, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504.

    Protests should be sent to the Director (WO-760), Bureau of Land 
Management, Division of Planning and Environmental Coordination, Room 
5600, 406 L St., 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 the 
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
concerning the Proposed Resource Management Plan. This Federal Register 
notice is expected to be published on November 18, 1994 which would 
make the comment and protest period extend for thirty days and close on 
December 19, 1994. Protest statements should include 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. 
(Protests of proposed plan elements that merely adopt decisions made in 
the Record of Decisions for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of 
Land Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern 
Spotted Owl and Standards and Guidelines for Management of Habitat for 
Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forest Related Species Within the 
Range of the Northern Spotted Owl signed by the Secretary of the 
Interior will be dismissed, as the Director has no authority to 
overrule those decisions).
    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: Jim Keeton, PRMP/FEIS Team Leader, 
Bureau of Land Management, Medford District Office, 3040 Biddle Road, 
Medford, Oregon, 97504, Phone (503) 770-2200.
    Public informational meetings on the Proposed Resource Management 
Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement will be held in Medford at 
the BLM District Office at 3040 Biddle Road on November 30, 1994 and in 
Grants Pass at the Fairgrounds Pavilion Room on December 1, 1994. Both 
meetings will start at 7:00 p.m. and extend to 9:00 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRMP/FEIS analyzes seven alternatives to 
resolve the following eleven issues: (1) Timber production practices; 
(2 and 3) old growth forests and habitat diversity; (4) threatened and 
endangered (and other special status) species habitat; (5) special 
areas; (6) visual resources; (7 and 8) stream/riparian/water quality; 
(9 and 9a) recreation resources, and wild and scenic rivers; (10) land 
tenure; and (11) rural interface area management.
    All three existing areas of critical environmental concern (ACEC) 
and two research natural areas (RNA) will be retained. An additional 14 
new ACECs and 11 new RNAs will be designated. The following areas have 
been analyzed and would be designated as an ACEC: (1) Bobby Creek, (2) 
Crooks Creek, (3) Baker Cypress, (4) French Flat, (5) Hole-in-the-Rock, 
(6) Hoxie Creek, (7) Iron Creek, (8) Jenny Creek, (9) Moon Prairie, 
(10) Pilot Rock, (11) Poverty Flat, (12) Tin Cup, (13) Rough and Ready, 
(14) Sterling Mine Ditch, (15) Brewer Spruce, (16) Bobby Creek, (17) 
Grayback Glade, (18) Holten Creek, (19) Lost Lake, (20) North Fork of 
Silver Creek, (21) Old Baldy, (22) Oregon Gulch, (23) Pipe Fork, (24) 
Round Top Butte, and (25) Scotch Creek.
    Management prescriptions for these ACECs vary by resource value and 
are described in the PRMP/FEIS.
    The PRMP/FEIS evaluates the eligibility of 92 rivers and streams 
within the planning area for further study as potential components of 
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers (NWSR) System. Four river segments: 
Big Windy Creek, East Fork Windy Creek, Dulog Creek, and Howard Creek, 
were found suitable for potential wild designation. No river segments 
have been found suitable for potential scenic or recreation 
designations.
    Public participation has occurred throughout the RMP process. A 
Notice of Intent was filed in the Federal Register, in June 1986. Since 
that time, several public meetings, mailings, and briefings were 
conducted to solicit comments and ideas. Any comments presented 
throughout the process have been considered.
    This notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for 
designation of ACECs and the requirements of the Final Revised USDI-
USDA Guidelines for Eligibility, Classification, and Management of 
Rivers (47FR 39454).

    Dated: November 7, 1994.
Dave Jones,
District Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Medford District, U.S. 
Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 94-28198 Filed 11-17-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-M