[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29706-29707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13579]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[4310-OR-100-6332-00; 5-032]


Availability of Approved Resource Management Plan and Record of 
Decision

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Approved Resource Management Plan 
and Record of Decision for the Roseburg District, Oregon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (40 CFR 1550.2), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 CFR 1610.2 (g)), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), Roseburg District provides notice of 
availability of the Approved Resource Management Plan (ARMP) and Record 
of Decision (ROD) for the Roseburg District. In addition to describing 
the decisions, the ARMP will provide the framework to guide land and 
resource allocations and management direction for the next 10 to 20 
years in the Roseburg District. This ARMP supersedes the existing 
Roseburg District (Drain, Dillard, North Umpqua, South Umpqua) 
Management Framework Plan, and other related documents for managing 
approximately 425,588 acres of mostly forested public land and 1,717 
acres of non-federal surface ownership with federal mineral estate 
administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Douglas County in 
southwestern Oregon.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ARMP/ROD are available upon request by 
contacting the Roseburg District Office, Bureau of Land Management, 777 
NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg, Oregon 97470. This document has been 
sent to all those individuals and groups who were on the mailing list 
for the Proposed Roseburg District Resource Management Plan/Final 
Environmental Impact Statement. The full supporting record for the ARMP 
is available for inspection in the Roseburg District Office at the 
address shown above. Copies of draft RMP/EIS and proposed RMP/final EIS 
are also available for inspection in the public room on the 7th floor 
of the BLM Oregon/Washington State Office, 1515 SW Fifth Street, 
Portland, Oregon; and public libraries throughout Douglas County during 
normal office hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cary Osterhaus, District Manager, 
Roseburg District Office, Bureau of Land Management. He can be reached 
by telephone number at 503-440-4930 or by FAX at 503-440-4948.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Roseburg District ARMP/ROD is 
essentially the same as the Roseburg District Proposed Resource 
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS). 
Virtually no changes to the proposed decisions have been made, except 
for some clarifying language in response to the eight protests BLM 
received on the Roseburg District PRMP/FEIS and as a result of ongoing 
staff review. The clarifying language concerns:

--Language revisions intended to clarify some management direction.
--Language revisions intended to strengthen the link between the ARMP 
and the 1994 Record of Decision 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 (or Northwest Forest Plan/
ROD).
--Revisions that incorporate guidelines issued by the Regional 
Ecosystem Office since the issuance of the 1994 Record of Decision 
named above. Such guidelines may clarify or interpret the 1994 Record 
of Decision.
--Revision of land tenure zone boundary involving 240 acres (.05% of 
district lands).
--Revision of Bushnell-Irwin Rocks from an ACEC to an ACEC/RNA.

    Seven alternatives that encompass a spectrum of realistic 
management options were considered in the planning process. The final 
plan is a mixture of the management objectives and actions that, in the 
opinion of the BLM, best resolve the issues and concerns that 
originally drove the preparation of the plan and also meet the plan 
elements or adopt decisions made in the Northwest Forest Plan/ROD. The 
Northwest Forest Plan/ROD was signed by the Secretary of the Interior 
who directed the BLM to adopt it in its Resource Management Plans for 
western Oregon. Further, those decisions were upheld by the United 
States District Court for the Western District of Washington on 
December 21, 1994.
    Ecosystem Management and Forest Product Production: The ARMP/ROD 
responds to the need for a healthy forest ecosystem with habitat that 
will support populations of native species (particularly those 
associated with late-successional and old-growth forests). It also 
responds to the need for a sustainable supply of timber and other 
forest products that will help maintain the stability of local and 
regional economies, and contribute valuable resources to the national 
economy on a predictable and long-term basis. BLM-administered lands 
are primarily allocated to Riparian Reserves, Late-Successional 
Reserves, General Forest Management Areas, and Connectivity/Diversity 
Blocks. An Aquatic Conservation Strategy will be applied to all lands 
and waters under BLM jurisdiction.
    Approximately 89,900 acres will be managed for timber production. 
The annual allowable sale quantity will be 7.0 million cubic feet (45 
million board feet). Standing trees; snags; and down, dead woody 
material will be retained to contribute to biological diversity.
    Wild and Scenic Rivers: Approximately 29 miles of river found 
eligible for designation and studied by BLM will be found not suitable 
for designation.
    Most BLM-administered lands will remain available for mineral 
leasing and location of mining claims, but 28 acres will be closed to 
leasing for oil and gas and geothermal resources, and 5,070 acres will 
be closed to location of claims.
    The Proposed Resource Management Plan will designate or redesignate 
the following ACECs and RNAs:

Bear Gulch
    ACEC/RNA
    330 acres
Beatty Creek
    ACEC/RNA
    331 acres
Bushnell-Irwin Rocks
    ACEC/RNA
    958 acres
Myrtle Island
    ACEC/RNA
    30 acres
North Bank
    ACEC
    6221 acres
North Myrtle Creek
    ACEC/RNA
    472 acres
North Umpqua River
    ACEC
    1620 acres
Red Pond [[Page 29707]] 
    ACEC/RNA
    134 acres
Tater Hill
    ACEC/RNA
    280 acres
Umpqua River Wildlife Area
    ACEC
    947 acres

    There were no potential ACEC areas identified that met the Bureau 
ACEC criteria of relevance and importance that are not included in 
whole or in part in the ARMP/ROD described above.
    Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) Use: The ARMP/ROD makes the following 
designations for OHV management in the District: no lands will be open; 
423,422 acres will be restricted to designated existing roads and 
trails and/or seasonally closed; and 2,166 acres will be closed to all 
use, except for specified administrative or emergency uses. The closed 
areas include administratively withdrawn areas such as progeny test 
sites and various ACECs. In addition, the ARMP/ROD provides for road 
closures to meet ecosystem management objectives. Such closures may be 
permanent or seasonal, and will be effected by use of signs, gates, 
barriers or total road deconstruction and site restoration.
    Land Tenure Adjustment: The ARMP/ROD identifies approximately 
35,930 acres of BLM-administered lands that will be retained in public 
ownership; 380,989 acres of BLM-administered lands that may be 
considered for exchange under prescribed circumstances; and 13,352 
acres of BLM-administered lands that may be available for sale or 
disposal under other authorized processes. The ARMP also provides 
criteria for the acquisition of lands, or interests in lands, where 
such acquisition would meet objectives of the various resource 
programs. The plan allocates approximately 1,577 acres as right-of-way 
exclusion areas.
    Special Recreation and Visual Resource Management Areas: The ARMP/
ROD identifies three Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMA), 
including one existing (North Umpqua River) and two new (Cow Creek and 
Umpqua River). The existing SRMAs total approximately 1,620 acres and 
the new SRMAs total approximately 3,950 acres. The ARMP/ROD allocates 
approximately 1,309 acres of BLM-administered lands for 29 existing or 
potential recreation sites. The plan also allocates lands for 19 
existing or potential trails, totaling approximately 49 miles. The plan 
also identifies management objectives for four visual resource 
management classifications.

    Dated: May 24, 1995.
David R. Baker,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-13579 Filed 6-2-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P