[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 108 (Monday, June 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 30353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14321]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[OR-110-0777-30: HAG99-0195]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on Projects Proposed in the Whiskey Creek, Bunker Creek, and 
Kelsey Creek Watersheds, Josephine and Curry Counties, Oregon

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, DOI.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on projects in the Whiskey Creek, Bunker Creek, and Kelsey Creek 
Watersheds in Josephine and Curry Counties, Oregon and Notice of 
Scoping Meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management, Medford District, 
Glendale Resource Area, will be preparing an EIS on the impacts of 
potential timber sales, opportunities for watershed restoration, 
wildlife habitat enhancement projects, recreational development and 
other projects in the Whiskey Creek, Bunker Creek and Kelsey Creek 
watersheds, tributaries of the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue 
River. The area is located in Josephine and Curry Counties in southwest 
Oregon.

DATES: Written comments on the initial scoping process will be accepted 
until August 3, 1999. Public scoping meetings will be held from 3:00 to 
7:30 p.m. on June 22, 1999 at the Grants Pass City Council Chambers, 
101 NW A Street, Grants Pass, Oregon, and from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. on 
July 20, 1999 at the Galice Community Hall, 10821 Galice Road, Galice, 
Oregon. Additional meetings will be considered as appropriate.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area includes the drainages of 
Whiskey, Bunker, Kelsey, Meadow, Russian, Dutch, and Quail Creeks, 
tributaries of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River. The area 
consists of approximately 42,000 acres of generally solid-block BLM 
ownership with four isolated private inholdings. The northeast portion 
of the project area is designated a General Forest Management Area in 
the Medford District Resource Management Plan (RMP). The remainder is 
within a Late Successional Reserve (LSR). (LSR's are identified in the 
Northwest Forest Plan and Medford District RMP as areas to protect and 
enhance conditions of late-successional and old-growth forest 
ecosystems.) The eastern and northern boundary is the Grave Creek to 
Marial National Back Country Byway. The southern boundary is the Rogue 
River, a National Wild and Scenic River. The project area contains five 
relatively large unroaded areas totaling approximately 24,000 acres.
    The Glendale Resource Area will be examining this area and 
analyzing the potential for projects. Projects may include, but are not 
limited to, forest health enhancement, timber sales, watershed 
restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, recreation, and other 
projects. The no action alternative will also be analyzed in this 
document.
    The tentative project schedule is as follows:

File Draft Environmental Impact Statement--September 2000
File Final Environmental Impact Statement--February 2001
Record of Decision--March 2001

    The Bureau of Land Management's scoping process for the EIS will 
include: (1) Identification of issues to be addressed, (2) 
Identification of viable alternatives, (3) Notifying interested groups, 
individuals, and agencies to determine level of participation and 
obtain additional information concerning issues to be addressed in the 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Lynda Boody, Glendale Field 
Manager, Medford District Bureau of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Road, 
Medford, OR 97504.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Roger Schnoes, (541) 770-2296 or e-mail at [email protected].

    Dated: May 26, 1999.
Lynda Boody,
Field Manager, Glendale Resource Area.
[FR Doc. 99-14321 Filed 6-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-M