[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 131 (Monday, July 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35807-35808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17128]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[2200-ULEP; OR930-7122-DS-9033: GP1-0228]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

    1. Description of the proposed planning action: The Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) proposes to work with the Foundation for Voluntary 
Land Exchanges (Foundation) to develop a land ownership adjustment plan 
(plan) and environmental impact statement for approximately 675,000 
acres in the Coast Range area of the Umpqua River Basin in western 
Oregon. The plan will identify the following: non-federal lands or 
interests in land within the planning area (with concurrence of willing 
non-federal landowners) that are recommended for acquisition through 
exchange by the United States; federal lands or interests in land 
within the planning area that are recommended for disposal in exchange 
for acquired lands of equal value; and specific land exchanges. This 
effort is intended to consolidate land ownership to reduce costs of 
administration and achieve management efficiency. In addition, this 
consolidation should improve federal and non-federal land management 
and planning, enhance protection and restoration of listed species' 
habitats, wetlands, riparian areas, and other environmentally sensitive 
areas, and improve public access and recreational

[[Page 35808]]

use, while allowing for sustainable timber production. Although the 
selected alternative will be consistent with the intent of the 
Northwest Forest Plan, some of the current allocations or management 
direction may be modified. The selected alternative will amend the 
BLM's Coos Bay, Eugene, and Roseburg districts' Resource Management 
Plans, and the Siuslaw National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan, unless the no-action alternative is adopted.
    2. Identification of the geographic area: The planning area covers 
approximately 675,000 acres in the Coast Range portion of the lower 
Umpqua River Basin in western Oregon. The area is primarily (98 
percent) within Douglas County, Oregon (approximately 3,000 acres are 
in Coos County and 12,400 acres in Lane County). Approximately 225,000 
acres are BLM-administered lands, 59,000 acres are National Forest 
lands, 34,300 acres are state lands, 8,300 acres are county or city, 
and 348,400 acres are privately owned.
    3. General types of issues anticipated: In general, the issues 
anticipated include the following: improved efficiency of land and 
resource management; management of vegetation communities; minimizing 
effects on listed and proposed species and their habitats; watershed 
protection and function; timber sustainability on federal lands; timber 
supply to small businesses; revenues to state and local governments; 
consideration of continued public access and recreation; and protection 
of wetlands, riparian reserves, water quality, and cultural and 
historic resources.
    4. Disciplines to be represented to prepare the plan will include, 
but not be limited to: wildlife biology, fish biology, forest ecology, 
silviculture, archaeology, economics, geology, soils, hydrology, lands 
and minerals, recreation, and land use planning.
    5. Kind and extent of public participation: This project will be 
conducted with an open, public process. Public meetings/open houses 
will be held in July, during the comment period on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, and at other times based on need. In 
addition, meetings will be initiated with city, county, state, and 
tribal governments, other federal agencies, the Southwest Oregon and 
Oregon Coast Provincial Advisory committees, and with other groups or 
agencies upon request. A website for the project, found at http://www.or.blm.gov/umpqua, will include flyers, mailers, and other 
documents, project updates, contacts, time lines, background, and other 
pertinent information. The BLM project manager, Patrick Geehan, and the 
Foundation managers, Marc Kelley and Robert Gill, will be available to 
discuss public concerns and suggestions. Access to designers of the 
Multi-Resource Land Allocation Model (Model) and EIS interdisciplinary 
team members will be through the project managers. Comments concerning 
the scope of the analysis should be received in writing by August 8, 
2001. Anonymous comments will be accepted and analyzed; however, the 
author(s) will not be ensured protest rights during the protest period. 
Written comments concerning this proposal may be sent to ULEP, c/o BLM, 
P.O. Box 2965, Portland, OR 97208. Comments may also be sent via e-mail 
to [email protected].
    6. Times, dates, locations of public meetings: Preliminary scoping 
meetings are scheduled as follows: July 16, 2001: Reedsport, Oregon, 
3:00-5:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Reedsport High School, Pacific 
Auditorium, 2260 Longwood Drive. July 17: Roseburg, Oregon, 7:00-9:00 
p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1036 SE Douglas Ave, #216. July 
18: Drain, Oregon, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Drain Branch Library, 205 West 
A Ave. July 19: Eugene, Oregon, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Eugene City 
Council Chambers, 777 Pearl Street #105. Public meetings also will be 
held in Reedsport, Roseburg, Drain, and Eugene during the comment 
period on the Draft EIS, anticipated to be May through July 2002.
    7. Name, title, address, and telephone number of BLM official: For 
further information contact either the BLM project manager or the 
Foundation operations manager. The BLM project manager for the Umpqua 
Land Exchange Project is Patrick Geehan, BLM, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, 
OR 97208, phone 503-952-6445. The Foundation Project Coordinator is 
Robert Gill, Foundation for Voluntary Land Exchange, 4033 SW Canyon 
Road, Portland, OR 97221, phone 503-274-2855.
    8. Location and availability of documents relevant to the planning 
process: Final published documents relevant to the planning process 
will be available at the BLM Oregon State Office in Portland, Oregon, 
at the address stated above. These documents will also be available in 
PDF format on the project website: http://www.or.blm.gov/umpqua.
    9. Privacy Act disclaimer for individuals who may wish to have 
their address withheld: Comments, including names and street addresses 
of respondents, will be available for public review at the Oregon State 
Office in Portland, Oregon during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m.). Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish to withhold your name or address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments may not have 
standing to protest the proposed decision under 43 CFR 1610.5-2.

    Dated: June 28, 2001.
Patrick H. Geehan,
Project Manager.
[FR Doc. 01-17128 Filed 7-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P