Notice of Availability

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[OR-013-02-4410-13: G5-036]

Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Klamath Falls Resource Area.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Proposed Resource Management Plan/

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Klamath Falls Resource

Area of the Lakeview District, Oregon.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1970, section 202(f) of the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976, and 43 CFR part 1610, a proposed final resource

management plan/environmental impact statement (RMP/EIS) for the

Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District, Oregon, has been

prepared and is available to the public. The RMP/EIS describes and

analyzes future options for managing approximately 212,000 acres of

partially forested public land and 21,000 acres of non-federal surface

ownership with federal mineral estate administered by the Bureau of

Land Management in Klamath County, just east of the Cascade Range in

southern Oregon.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The draft RMP/EIS was available for public review

from August 21, 1992 to December 15, 1992. Written comments were

received from agencies, organizations, and individuals. Oral comments

were also heard in four public meetings, and at numerous meetings with

interested groups, organizations, and individuals. The four public

meetings were held in Klamath Falls, Keno, and Bonanza, Oregon. In

addition, numerous meetings and formal briefings were held by Oregon

BLM State Office personnel. All comments provided were considered

during the preparation of the proposed final RMP/EIS.

Copies of the proposed final RMP/EIS and a summary of it may be

obtained from the Klamath Falls Resource Area office. Public reading

copies will be available for review at the public libraries in Klamath

Falls (Oregon) and Redding (California), the Klamath County Office

Building, all government document depository libraries, all BLM State

Offices, most BLM District Offices, and at the following BLM locations:

Office of External Affairs, Main Interior Building, Room 5600, 18th and

C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240

Public Room, Oregon State Office, 1515 S.W. 5th, Portland, Oregon 97201

The Klamath Falls Resource Area BLM will host an open house for the

public on Wednesday, November 30, 1994 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Thursday

December 1, 1994 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Staff will be available to

answer questions, clarify confusing points, explain rationales, discuss

points of concern, and generally assist the public in understanding the

proposed plan. The open house will be held at the Klamath Falls

Resource Area BLM office at 2795 Anderson Avenue, Building 25, Klamath

Falls, Oregon.

Protests should be sent to the Director (760), Bureau of Land

Management, 18th Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20240, within the 30 day

protest period. The period for filing a plan protest begins when the

Environmental Protection Agency publishes in the Federal Register its

Notice of Availability of the final environmental impact statement

concerning the proposed resource management plan or amendment. The

protest and comment period will end 30 days after the Environmental

Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal

Register, or on December 27, 1994, whichever is later. There are some

restrictions on the protest process, so anyone wishing to protest needs

to carefully read the introductory letter to the document. To be

considered complete, your protest must contain, at a minimum, the

following information:

The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the

person filing the protest.

A statement of the issue or issues being protested.

A statement of the part or parts of the plan being protested.

A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that were

submitted during the planning process, or a reference to the date

the issue or issues were discussed for the record.

A concise statement explaining why the BLM State Director's

decision is believed to be incorrect.

At the end of the 30-day protest period, the BLM may issue a Record

of Decision approving implementation of any portions of the proposed

plan not under protest. Approval will be withheld on any portion of the

plan under protest, until the protest has been resolved.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. Barron Bail, Area Manager, Klamath

Falls Resource Area office, Phone (503) 883-6916.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed final RMP/EIS describes and

analyzes seven alternatives to resolve the following issues: (1) Timber

production practices, (2) old growth forests and habitat diversity, (3)

threatened and endangered and other special status species habitat

(including habitat for the northern spotted owl), (4) special

management areas, (5) visual resources, (6) stream/riparian/water

quality, (7) recreation resources, (8) wild and scenic rivers, (9) land

tenure, (10) rural interface areas, (11) range management, and (12)

proposed hydroelectric or alternative energy projects. The issues are

analyzed in seven distinct alternatives that range from high resource

production to high resource protection.

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.

Approximately 51,400 acres would be managed for timber production,

with restrictions to protect or enhance other resource values. The

annual probable timber sale quantity would be 1.11 million cubic feet

or 6.31 million boardfeet (1.03 mmcf or 5.91 MMBF west of Highway 97

and 0.08 mmcf or 0.40 MMBF east of Highway 97). To contribute to

biological diversity, standing trees, snags, and dead and down woody

material would be retained.

Management would provide 12,978 animal unit months in the livestock

grazing program.

In addition to protecting listed or proposed threatened and

endangered species as required by the Endangered Species Act, the BLM

would manage habitats of federal candidate, state listed, and Bureau

sensitive species to maintain their populations at a level that would

avoid federal listing.

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.

Most BLM-administered lands would remain available for mineral

leasing and location, but 300 acres would be closed to leasing for oil

and gas and geothermal resources, and 6,400 acres would be closed to

location of mining claims.

The proposed final RMP/EIS proposes designation of four new areas

of critical environmental concern with the noted restrictions.

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Mineral

Rights--area name Acres Vegetation ORV use Mining ---------------------------

harvest location Leasing Of-way

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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

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NC = No Change from existing situation.

R = Use is allowed but with restrictions.

P = Use is prohibited.

The Miller Creek area would be 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, would be designated

an area of critical environmental concern to maintain, protect, and/or

restore historic, cultural, scenic, fisheries, and wildlife populations

and habitat. The 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 would be 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 would be 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.

There were five potential areas of critical environmental concern

identified that met the Bureau area of critical environmental concern

criteria of relevance and importance that are not included in the

proposed final resource management plan for various reasons. They

include: Surveyor Forest Area, 150 acres; Tunnel Creek, 280 acres;

Spencer Creek, 320 acres; The Bumpheads, 50 acres; and Pacific Crest

Trail, 620 acres.

One river segment covering 11.0 miles was found suitable for

designation under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and 23.2

miles of rivers that were found eligible for designation and studied by

the BLM were found not suitable for designation in the proposed final

resource management plan. After the proposed resource management plan

went to press, 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. This designation was signed by the

Secretary of the Interior on September 22, 1994. Designation of the

upper Klamath River is not protestable in the RMP protest period as the

Oregon State Director of the BLM does not have the authority to

overturn a decision made by the Secretary of the Interior.

Public participation has occurred throughout the planning process.

A Notice of Intent was filed in the Federal Register, in September

1992. Since that time, several public meetings, mailings, and briefings

were conducted to solicit comments and ideas. The comments provided

throughout the process have been considered.

This Notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for

designation of areas of critical environmental concern and the

requirements of the final revised Department of the Interior--

Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Eligibility, Classification,

and Management of Rivers (FR Vol. 47, No. 173, pg. 39454).

Dated: November 11, 1994.

Terry H. Sodorff,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 94-29623 Filed 12-01-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-84-P