[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 139 (Thursday, July 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37462-37464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17840]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[OR-014-95-1610-00:G5-161]


Notice of Availability, Klamath Falls Resource Area; Record of 
Decision, Resource Management Plan, and Rangeland Program Summary for 
the Klamath Falls Resources Area of the Lakeview District, Oregon

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (40 CFR 1500.2), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, (43 CFR part 1610 [g]), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Land Management, Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District 
provides notice of availability of the Record of Decision (ROD), 
Approved 

[[Page 37463]]
Resource Management Plan (ARMP), and Rangeland Program Summary (RPS) 
for the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District. The ARMP 
will provide the framework to guide land and resource allocations and 
management direction for the next 10 to 20 years in the Klamath Falls 
Resource Area of the Lakeview District. This ARMP supersedes the 
applicable portions of the existing Lost River and Jackson-Klamath 
management framework plans and other related documents for managing 
BLM-administered lands and resources in the subject area. The Klamath 
Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District is responsible for 
management of approximately 212,000 acres of partially forested public 
land and 21,000 acres of non-federal surface ownership with federal 
mineral estate in Klamath County, just east of the Cascade Range in 
southern Oregon.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ARMP/ROD/RPS are available upon request by 
contacting the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District, 
Bureau of Land Management, 2795 Anderson Ave., Bldg. 25, Klamath Falls, 
Oregon 97603. The telephone number is (503) 883-6916. This document has 
been sent to all those individuals and groups who were on the mailing 
list for the Klamath Falls Resource Area Proposed Resource Management 
Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement. The full supporting record 
for the approved Klamath Falls Resource Area RMP is also available for 
inspection in the Klamath Falls Resource Area office, at the office 
given above. Copies of the draft and final EISs are also available for 
inspection in the public room at the BLM Oregon/Washington State 
Office, 1515 S.W. 5th St., Portland, Oregon 97201; and Klamath County 
library, at 126 S. 3rd St., Klamath Falls, Oregon during normal 
operating hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. Barron Bail, Area Manager, Klamath 
Falls Resource Area office, Phone (503) 883-6916.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Klamath Falls Resource Area ARMP/ROD/RPS 
is essentially the same as the Klamath Falls Resource Area Proposed 
Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/
FEIS). Virtually no changes to the proposed decisions have been made, 
however some clarifying language has been made in response to 9 
protests the BLM received on the PRMP/FEIS, several comment letters, 
and as a result of ongoing staff review. 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 
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). 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.
    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. To contribute to 
biological diversity, standing trees, snags, and dead and down woody 
material would be retained.

Ecosystem Management and Forest Products Production

    The BLM-administered lands are allocated to Riparian Reserves, 
Late-Successional Reserves, and General Forest Management Areas. An 
Aquatic Conservation Strategy will be applied to all lands and waters 
under BLM administration. An allowable sale quantity for commercial 
forest products is established.

Ecosystem Management and Livestock Grazing

    Grazing management levels, seasons of use, and monitoring 
guidelines are established. The process for monitoring, evaluating, and 
amending or revising the plan is described.

Recreation

    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.
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

     The ARMP/ROD designates four new areas of critical environmental 
concern with the restrictions noted below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Vegetation    ORV      Mining      Mineral     Rights-of-
                  Area name                    Acres    harvest      use     location     leasing        way    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 is 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, is designated an 
area of critical environmental concern to maintain, protect, and/or 
restore historic, cultural, scenic, fisheries, and wildlife populations 
and habitat. The 

[[Page 37464]]
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 is 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 is 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.

Wild and Scenic Rivers

    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 on September 22, 1994. There is currently 
litigation over the Secretary's designation. The same river segment was 
found suitable for designation under section 5 of the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act in the September 1994, Klamath Falls Resource Area 
Proposed Resource Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement 
and that finding is affirmed, with appropriate management direction for 
the BLM administered lands, in the Klamath Falls ARMP/ROD. An 
additional 23.2 miles of rivers, in five segments of four creeks, that 
were found eligible for designation and studied by the BLM are found 
not suitable for designation.

Off-Highway Vehicles

    The ARMP/ROD makes the following designations for OHV management in 
the Klamath Falls Resource Area: 102,000 acres will be open; 105,600 
acres will be restricted to designated existing roads and trails and/or 
seasonally closed; and 4,300 acres will be closed to all use, except 
for specified administrative or emergency uses. The closed areas 
include 3 acres of the Pacific Crest National Scenic trail, 1,800 acres 
of administratively withdrawn areas [such as the Lower Klamath Hills 
wildlife area, Spencer Creek, and progeny test sites], and 2,520 acres 
in various ACECs. In addition, the ARMP/ROD provides for road closures 
to meet ecosystem management objectives. Such closures may be permanent 
or seasonal, and by use of signs, gates, barriers or total road de-
construction and site restoration.

Land Tenure Adjustment

    The ARMP/ROD identifies 186,000 acres of BLM administered lands 
which will be retained in public ownership, 3,000 acres of BLM lands 
which may be considered for exchange under prescribed circumstances and 
23,000 acres of BLM lands which 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 840 acres as right-of-way exclusion areas and 56,000 acres as 
right-of-way avoidance areas.

Special Recreation and Visual Resource Management Areas

    The plan identifies 4 new or existing Special Recreation Management 
Areas. They are the Hamaker Mountain SRMA (1,200 acres), the Stukel 
Mountain SRMA (12,000 acres), the Pacific Crest National Scenic trail 
SRMA (40 acres), and the Klamath River SRMA (7,400 acres). The plan 
allocates from 450 to 1,220 acres of BLM administered lands for 15 to 
50 existing or potential recreation sites. The plan also allocates 
lands for 4 to 22 existing or potential trails, totaling 8 to 118 
miles. The plan also identifies management objectives for four visual 
resource management classifications.

Mineral and Energy Resource Management

    Approximately 206,600 acres or 98 percent of BLM administered lands 
remain open to mineral location, and 211,700 acres or almost 100 
percent are open to energy and mineral leasing and mineral material 
disposal.

    Dated: July 7, 1995.
Scott R. Florence,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-17840 Filed 7-19-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-00-P