[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 188 (Monday, September 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 55991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24506]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR118-6333-DT, HAG03-0218]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Approved 
Amendments to the Medford Resource Management Plan for the Kelsey 
Whisky Landscape Management Planning Area

AGENCY: Glendale Resource Area, Medford District, Bureau of Land 
Management.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
and the National Environmental Policy Act, the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) announces the availability of the approved Amendment 
to the Medford Resource Management Plan (RMPA) for the Kelsey Whisky 
Landscape planning area.
    The Medford District Manager and Glendale Resource Area Field 
Manager will subsequently be proposing decisions to implement specified 
wildlife habitat enhancement, fuels treatments, forest density 
management, commercial timber harvests and road construction projects 
identified in Alternative 1 of the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS)

DATES: The approved Medford RMP amendment decisions are effective 
immediately. Subsequent project or RMP implementation actions, such as 
timber sales, will occur over the next five-seven years and be 
announced locally and provide for additional public reviews. These 
projects are described in the preferred alternative of the FEIS and 
will be subject to 15-day protest periods as provided by 43 CFR 5003. 
Those decisions will be announced to the public through the publication 
of timber sale notices or their equivalent in The Grants Pass Daily 
Courier and Umpqua Free Press newspapers, as well as posted on the 
Medford District Web site at http://www.or.blm.gov/Medford under 
``Planning Documents''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynda L. Boody, Field Manager, 
Glendale Resource Area, Bureau of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Road, 
Medford, OR 97504, and 541-618-2279.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The analysis area encompasses approximately 
104,000 acres of public land managed by the Glendale Resource Area, 
Medford District, BLM, located in Josephine, Douglas and Curry counties 
in southwestern Oregon. The analysis document was prepared in 
conformance with Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act and associated BLM planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.5-5 and 
National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and other 
applicable laws, regulations and policies.
    The BLM Oregon State Director's decision amends the Medford 
District Resource Management Plan by adding off-highway vehicle (OHV) 
restrictions to the transportation plan for a total reduction of 16.6 
miles through road decommissioning and road closures with gates and 
barricades. In addition, 21.2 miles of existing roads would be improved 
or reconstructed and 1.5 miles of temporary roads authorized to 
facilitate transportation and management for other actions in the area. 
The State Director also determined that there was no immediate need to 
designate any special management areas, and authority or need to re-
inventory for areas with wilderness characteristics.
    Single copies of the draft and final environmental impact 
statements and the approved Medford RMP amendment document are 
available at 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 BLM Web site at http://www.or.blm.gov/Medford under ``Planning Documents''.
    The road closure or transportation plan decisions amending the 
Medford District Resource Management Plan are effective immediately. 
Public participation has occurred throughout the planning process. A 
Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on June 7, 1999 
and the Draft EIS Notice of Availability was published in the Federal 
Register on April 12, 2002. 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 Final EIS. A Final EIS was published March 21, 2003 and 
was available to the public for 30 days. Two protests on the planning 
component of the Final EIS were resolved. There were no formal findings 
of inconsistencies with officially approved or adopted natural resource 
related plans, programs or policies by the Governor of Oregon, per 43 
CFR 1610.3-2(e).

    Authority: Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

    Dated: July 2, 2003.
Lynda L. Boody,
Field Manager Glendale Resource Area, Medford District Office.
[FR Doc. 03-24506 Filed 9-26-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P