[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6944-6945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3372]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR110-6333-DQ, HAG03-0046]


Notice of Availability of the Kelsey Whisky Landscape Management 
Plan, Proposed Amendments to the Medford Resource Management Plan, and 
Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Kelsey Whisky Landscape 
Management Plan (LMP), Proposed Amendments to the Medford Resource 
Management Plan (RMPA), and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 202 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, a Final EIS has been prepared for the Glendale 
Resource Area, Kelsey Whisky LMP, and Proposed Amendments to the 
Medford RMP. The analysis area encompasses approximately 104,000 acres 
of public land managed by the Glendale Resource Area, Medford District 
and located in Josephine, Douglas and Curry counties in southwestern 
Oregon. The Final EIS was completed after extensive collaboration 
between Bureau staff and interested parties to ensure the proposed 
management decisions meet agency responsibilities with relation to the 
resource management issues identified and reflect public input.

DATES: Written comments on the implementation portion of the RMPA/LMP 
will be accepted for 30 days following the date the notice is published 
in the Federal Register.
    Documents referenced in this final EIS may be examined at the 
Medford District Office during normal working hours. Comments must be 
received on or before the end of the comment period at the address 
listed below. Written protests on the Final EIS will be accepted if 
postmarked within 30 calendar days from the date that a Notice of 
Availability is published in the Federal Register by the Environmental 
Protection Agency. Instructions for filing protests are included below 
under Supplemental Information.
    No public meetings, open houses or field tours of the project area 
have been scheduled at this time. If there is sufficient public 
interest, public meetings will be arranged to discuss the management 
alternatives and answer questions. At least 15 days public notice will 
be given for activities where the public is invited to attend. All 
meetings will be published on the Medford District planning Web site at 
http://www.or.blm.gov/Medford/planning/Medplanningdocs.html; meeting 
notices can also be found in the Grant's Pass Courier and Umpqua Free 
Press newspapers.

ADDRESSES: Written protests must be filed at the following address: 
Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attention: Brenda Williams, 
PO Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035. In addition, you may use the 
overnight address (FedEx or USPS) as an option for next day delivery: 
Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attention: Brenda Williams, 
1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. Although not a 
requirement, we suggest that you send your protest by certified mail, 
return receipt requested.
    Written comments should be sent to Lynda L. Boody, Field Manager, 
Glendale Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Road, 
Medford, Oregon, 97504, (541) 618-2279, or fax to (541) 618-2400, or e-
mail to [email protected].
    Comments, including names and addresses of those who comment, will 
be available for public review. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name and/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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynda L. Boody, Field Manager, 
Glendale Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Medford District 
Office, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, Oregon, 97504, (541) 618-2279.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Single copies of the document are available 
at

[[Page 6945]]

the Medford District Office. Single copies will also be available for 
inspection during normal working hours at the Oregon State Office, 
Public Room, 333 SW., 1st Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97204. The document 
may also be reviewed on the Medford District planning Web site at 
http://www.or.blm.gov/Medford/planning/Medplanningdocs.html. The public 
has the opportunity to protest the proposed RMP amendment components, 
as described in the Final EIS. The BLM planning regulations, 43 CFR 
1610.5-2, state that any person who participated in the planning 
process and has an interest which may be adversely affected, may 
protest. A protest may only raise those issues that were submitted for 
the record during the planning process. The BLM will make its decisions 
after review of protests (if any).
    To be considered complete, your protest must contain, at a minimum, 
the following information:
    [sbull] Name, mailing address, telephone number and the affected 
interest of the person filing the protest(s).
    [sbull] A statement of the issue (or issues) being protested.
    [sbull] A statement of the part (or parts) of the proposed plan 
amendment being protested. To the extent possible, reference specific 
pages, paragraphs and sections of the document.
    [sbull] A copy of all your documents addressing the issue (or 
issues) which were discussed with BLM for the record.
    [sbull] A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is 
believed to be incorrect. This is the critical part of your protest. 
Document all relevant facts, as much as possible, referencing or citing 
the planning and environmental analysis documents. A protest that 
merely expresses disagreement with State Director's proposed decisions 
without any data will not provide us with the benefit of your 
information and insight. In this case, the Director's review will be 
based on the existing analysis and supporting data.
    Since this plan is a combination of RMP amendments and subordinate 
implementation or activity plans, the planning protest provision only 
applies to the proposed amendments and related findings. The 
subordinate actions, such as forest health treatments and individual 
timber sales will be subject to applicable administrative review and 
appeal provisions at later dates. The planning protest process does not 
provide for consideration of objections to those actions at this time.
    The FEIS analyzes three action alternatives and a no-action 
alternative, each developed with differing emphasis. The alternatives 
were designed to address, in different ways, the land and resource 
management issues identified in the early stages of the planning 
process. The range of management actions includes timber harvest of 
anywhere from 3.1 to 11.9 million board feet (MMBF), 5,000-6,000 acres 
of fuel hazard reduction treatments, restoration activities, road 
decommissioning, water source enhancement projects, and other land 
management direction. Public participation has occurred throughout the 
planning process. Public comments were solicited during scoping and 
through a 90 day comment period for the draft EIS. The comments were 
analyzed and utilized where applicable to clarify and strengthen the 
FEIS.

    Dated: December 30, 2002.
Mary Smelcer,
Acting District Manager, Medford District Office.
[FR Doc. 03-3372 Filed 2-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P