[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 135 (Friday, July 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36303-36305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15708]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[OR-090-95-6350-00-G5-130]

Notice of 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 Eugene BLM District, Oregon.

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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), Eugene District provides notice of availability 
of the Approved Resource Management Plan (ARMP) and Record of Decision 
(ROD) for the Eugene 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 
Eugene District. This ARMP supersedes the existing Eugene District 
Management Framework Plan (1983), and other related documents for 
managing approximately 318,000 acres of mostly forested public land and 
1,299 acres of non-federal surface ownership with federal mineral 
estate administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Benton, 
Douglas, Lane, and Linn counties in Oregon.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ARMP/ROD are available upon request by 
contacting the Eugene District Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2890 
Chad Drive, Eugene, Oregon 97408-7336. This document has been sent to 
all those individuals and groups who were on the mailing list for the 
Proposed Eugene District Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental 
Impact Statement. The full supporting record for the ARMP is available 
for inspection in the Eugene District Office at the address shown 
above. Copies of the 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 in Eugene/Springfield during normal hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy Nelson, District Manager, Eugene 
District Office, Bureau of Land Management. She can be reached by 
telephone at 503-683-6600 or by FAX at 503-683-6981.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Eugene District ARMP/ROD is essentially 
the same as the Eugene 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 nine valid protests BLM received on the 
Eugene District PRMP/FEIS and as a result of 

[[Page 36304]]
ongoing staff review. The clarifying language concerns:
--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 (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.

    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 initiated 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. Furthermore, 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, Connectivity/Diversity 
Blocks, and Adaptive Management Areas. An Aquatic Conservation Strategy 
will be applied to all lands and waters under BLM jurisdiction.
    Approximately 69,000 acres will be managed for timber production. 
The Allowable Sale Quantity will be 6.1 million cubic feet (36 million 
board feet). To contribute to biological diversity, standing trees, 
snags, and down dead woody material will be retained. A process for 
monitoring, evaluating, and amending or revising the plan is described.
    Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC): The ARMP/ROD will 
continue the designation of seven Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACEC), five ACEC/Research Natural Areas (RNA), two ACEC/
Outstanding Natural Areas (ONA), and one Environmental Education Area 
(EEA). The ARMP/ROD designates or redesignates the following ACECs and 
RNAs with the noted restrictions.

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                                         Approx.     Timber/                                             Min.   
               Area name                  acres    veg. harv.    OHV use    Min. loc.    Min. lease     salable 
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Coburg Hills, Cottage                                                                                           
Grove Lake, and Dorena                                                                                          
Lake Relict Forest Islands                                                                                      
ACEC..................................        876  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Cougar Mtn. Yew ACEC..................         10  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Grassy Mtn. ACEC......................         74  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Hult Marsh ACEC.......................        167  P           R           P           open-NSO       P         
Long Tom ACEC.........................          7  R           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Camas Swale ACEC/RNA..................        314  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Fox Hollow ACEC/RNA...................        160  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Horse Rock Ridge ACEC/RNA.............        378  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Mohawk ACEC/RNA.......................        292  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Upper Elk Meadows ACEC/RNA............        223  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Heceta Sand Dunes ACEC/ONA............        218  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
Lake Creek Falls ACEC/ONA.............         58  P           R           P           open-NSO       P         
McGowan Creek EEA.....................         79  P           P           P           open-NSO       P         
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P = Use is prohibited.                                                                                          
R = Use is allowed but with restrictions.                                                                       
NSO = No surface occupancy.                                                                                     

    Wild and Scenic Rivers: Approximately 39 miles of river found 
eligible for designation and studied by BLM are found not suitable for 
designation. Three river segments (involving approximately 70 miles) 
have been determined to be administratively eligible for further 
consideration for designation as a component of the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System under recreational river classifications, pending 
other interagency suitability studies. All administratively suitable or 
eligible (pending further study) river segments will be managed under 
BLM interim management guidelines pending further legislative or 
administrative consideration, as applicable. The supporting records for 
the ARMP/ROD, document those river or stream segment analyses.
    Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Use: The ARMP/ROD makes the following 
designations for OHV management in the District: approximately 80 acres 
will be open; 314,800 acres will be restricted to designated existing 
roads and trails and/or seasonally closed; and 3,120 acres will be 
closed to all use, except for specified administrative or emergency 
uses. The closed areas include administratively withdrawn areas such as 
seed orchards and 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 
affected by use of signs, gates, barriers, or total road deconstruction 
and site restoration.
    Land Tenure Adjustment: The ARMP/ROD identifies approximately 
78,175 acres of BLM administered lands that will be retained in public 
ownership; 238,398 acres of BLM lands that may be considered for 
exchange under prescribed circumstances; and 36 acres of BLM lands that 
may be available for sale or disposal under other authorized processes. 
The ARMP also provides 

[[Page 36305]]
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 1,367 acres as right-of-way 
exclusion areas and 151,091 acres as right-of-way avoidance areas.
    Special Recreation and Visual Resource Management Areas: The ARMP/
ROD identifies seven Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMA), 
including one existing (Shotgun Recreation Site) and six new SRMA 
(Upper Lake Creek, Lower Lake Creek, Gilkey Creek, Row River, McKenzie 
River, Siuslaw River). The existing SRMA totals approximately 277 acres 
and the new SRMAs total approximately 24,454 acres. The ARMP/ROD 
allocates approximately 1,265 acres of BLM administered lands for 39 
existing or potential recreation sites. The plan also allocates lands 
for 26 existing or potential trails, totaling approximately 102 miles. 
The plan also identifies management objectives for three Visual 
Resource Management classifications.
    Mineral and Energy Resource Management: Most BLM administered lands 
will remain available for mineral leasing and location of mining 
claims, but 52 acres are closed to leasing for oil and gas resources by 
law, and 15,230 acres will be closed to location of claims.

    Dated: June 13, 1995.
Judy Ellen Nelson,
Eugene District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-15708 Filed 7-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P