[OR-100-6321-01; GP7-0033 Case File #OR-51858]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[OR-100-6321-01; GP7-0033 Case File #OR-51858]

SUBJECT: Notice of Intent, Plan Amendment.

AGENCY: Prineville District, Central Oregon Resource Area, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action, Notice of exchange proposal.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.3 and 43 CFR 2200,

notice is given that the Bureau of Land Management in the State of

Oregon, Vale District, Baker Resource Area, intends to analyze a

potential amendment to the Baker R.A. Resource Management Plan (RMP).

The potential amendment will involve adjustment of land tenure

designations. Currently the Baker RMP designates only two land tenure

adjustment categories. The potential amendment would reclassify those

areas with special designations into a ``retention only'' zone, thus

adding an additional category. If necessary, the purpose of the plan

amendment would be to make available for exchange certain lands located

in Baker, Umatilla, Union, and Morrow Counties in Northeastern Oregon

and would facilitate exchange proposals that involve the Prineville

District BLM, Baker R.A., numerous private property holders, and a

third party facilitator.

[[Page 64144]]

Subject to valid existing rights, most of the public lands referred

to herein have been segregated from appropriation under the public land

laws and mineral laws for a period of five years, beginning May 24,

1996. A complete list of specific lands segregated will be available in

the same locations as the other elements of the supporting record, as

noted elsewhere in this notice.

DATES: A two purpose public comment period is provided at this time.

Publication of this Notice in the Federal Register starts the 45 day

comment period necessary to meet public notification requirements for

both the Notice of Intent to prepare to prepare plan amendments, an EIS

and the Notice of Realty Action.

ADDRESSES:

Bureau of Land Management, Vale District, Baker R.A., P.O. Box 987,

Baker City, OR, 97.

Prinville District, Central Oregon Resource Area, P.O. Box 550,

Prineville, OR 97754.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Lane, Central Oregon, R.A. Realty

Specialist, (541) 416-6752 and Dorothy Mason, Baker R.A., Staff

Supervisor, (541) 523-1256.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Prineville District's Two Rivers (1986)

and John Day (1985, 1995) Resource Management Plans and the Vale

District's Baker (1989, 1992) Resource Management Plan (RMPs) currently

provide general management guidelines for land tenure adjustments as

well as overall land resource use allocations and resource protection

or enhancement. Although it is anticipated that the final decisions for

land exchanges considered through this analysis will be in full

conformance with the applicable RMPs, it is possible that portions of

some actions under some alternatives may not be in full conformance

with the approved plans, as required by 43 Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR), Subpart 1610.5-3, ``Conformity and Implementation''. The

environmental analysis and public and interagency review process

anticipated for this analysis are expected to fully comply with the

Bureau's regulations for land use planning, including land use plan

amendments, public involvement and coordination with other Federal

agencies, State and local governments and Indian tribes, (43 CFR

1610.2, 1610.3 and 1610.5-5). This will allow the analysis to consider

land tenure strategies which are inconsistent with the current

direction or substantially affect other resource uses and allocations

in one or more of the subject approved RMPs. Any approved decisions

which amend the applicable plans will be incorporated into the plans

and become part of the permanent planning record. Any refinements or

clarifications of management direction, priority of disposal or use of

acquired lands will be incorporated into the applicable plans and

documented through published plan maintenance reports, as provided

under 43 CFR 1610.5-4. Copies of the three existing approved plans (as

amended) will be available in the same locations as the other elements

of the supporting record, as noted elsewhere in this notice.

The decisions made through this analysis are expected to be

implemented through a relatively complex series of land tenure

adjustment actions over a period of several years. Although the intent

is to consummate the majority of the exchanges within approximately two

years of the approval of the decision(s), some residual actions or

independent land exchanges which are in conformance with the analysis

and decisions and associated approved RMPs may occur over a period of

ten or more years. In effect, this analysis will serve both to

facilitate the ongoing project as well as future actions that fall

under the programmatic nature of this analysis. Future exchanges or

other land transfers would be subject to appropriate environmental

analyses, public and interagency reviews and would be reported in the

applicable District or Resource Area periodic planning update reports

which are distributed to known interested parties.

The Baker R.A. RMP proposed plan amendment and exchange proposal

include public lands administered by the Baker R.A. located within the

following areas.

Willamette Meridian, Baker, Morrow, Union and Umatilla Counties:

T.1N. through 6N., R.23E. through 41E.,

T.1S, through 6S., R.23E. through 42E.,

T.7S through 14S., R.36E. through 48E.

Containing approximately 45,000 acres of public land.

Public lands considered for disposal in the Central Oregon R.A.

Prineville, are located within the following areas:

Willamette Meridian, Grant and Wheeler Counties:

T.7S. through 18S., R.26E. through 35E.

T.7S. through 9S., R.21E. through 25E.

Containing approximately 50,000 acres of public land.

Contingent upon approval of the amended RMP, or an approved

conformance determination with the existing approved Baker RMP, the

above described land within the Baker R.A. will be suitable for

disposal by exchange under section 206 of the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 43 U.S.C. 1716. Disposal of the public

lands considered for exchange within the Central Oregon R.A. are in

conformance with current Land Use Plans. These parcels are generally

considered to be isolated and inefficient to manage. The total acreage

considered for disposal in both the Baker and Central Oregon Resource

Areas totals approximately 95,000 acres.

The Baker and Central Oregon Resource Areas have received exchange

proposals from Clearwater Land Exchange for property from Pioneer

Resources, the JV Ranch and other private entities, potentially

affecting the public lands noted above. Some lands offered by these

private landholders for this exchange are located along the North Fork

of the John Day River which straddles the Grant, Morrow, and Umatilla

county lines. They adjoin a second piece of land that is located west

of the North Fork and includes Ditch and Cabin Creeks to the east, Wall

Creek on the west and are adjacent to Forest Service administered lands

to the north. Other lands considered for acquisition are located on and

in the vicinity of Rudio Mountain in Grant County and along the South

Fork of the John Day River. The Baker R.A. has designated the following

``target'' acquisition areas within which it would seek to acquire

private lands from willing land owners: the west side of the Snake

River from Homestead to Huntington (including the Lookout Mountain

area), the Pedro Mountain area, the Dooley Mountain/Burnt River Canyon

area and along the Powder River downstream from Thief Valley Reservoir.

Additionally, any opportunity to acquire lands within or adjacent to

land tenure retention zone 1 as identified in the land use plans, will

also be considered for acquisition in both districts.

The parcels identified for acquisition through the exchange process

are considered to contain high public values including significant

forest resources, anadromous fish and wildlife habitat, substantial

recreational opportunities and miles of riparian habitat. They would

block up and consolidate public lands managed by the BLM, adjacent to

the National Forest. Other lands offered for acquisition will be

considered on the basis of the following values: key anadromous or

other fisheries habitat, important wildlife habitats, wetlands and

riparian values, significant cultural/historic sites eligible for

National Register of Historic places, T&E/

[[Page 64145]]

sensitive species habitat, Unique/outstanding recreational values,

provide legal public access, within or adjacent to special designated

areas (ACEC, W&S Rivers), manageability and cost of administration,

substantially improves manageability of existing BLM or other public

land, opportunities for partnerships in management and acquisition,

unique lands with ecologic, geologic, scientific or scenic values and

significance in stabilizing business, social and economic conditions

and/or lifestyles. Issues raised at initial scoping that will be

addressed in the analysis include, but are not limited to, multiple

adjacent landowners desiring acquisition of BLM disposal tract(s),

adjacent landowner(s) does not wish to acquire BLM disposal tract(s),

appraisal issues, tribal, values/historic use areas, county land base,

water rights and agricultural lands, outright sale of public lands,

resource management of acquired tracts, resource management on tracts

considered for disposal, late successional forest stands/habitat,

access and wildlife habitat.

Parcels will be screened by an interdisciplinary (ID) team through

the environmental impact statement (EIS) process. Public parcels will

be inventoried for sensitive values including special status wildlife

and plants, and cultural resources. Disciplines to be represented on

the ID team preparing the plan amendment and EIS include, but are not

limited to: archaeology, anthropology, economics, lands and minerals,

recreation, forestry, fisheries, hydrology, botanical, soils, wildlife,

geology and hazardous materials.

The value of lands proposed for exchange have not yet been

determined. Upon completion of final appraisal, acreage would be

adjusted and/or money would be used to equalize the values. Lands will

be exchanged on a value basis, based on current fair market value

appraisals.

Public lands would be transferred subject to: (1) A reservation to

the United States of a right-of-way for ditches canals constructed by

the authority of the United States. Act of August 30, 1890 (43 U.S.C.

945); and (2) all valid existing easements, leases, permits, licenses,

rights-of-way or other rights, and other terms and conditions that may

be identified in the EIS.

The BLM is inviting comments to be considered in the preparation of

the EIS for the proposed exchange. Comments may be addressed to Dick

Cosgriffe, Central Oregon Resource Area Manager, at the Prineville

District Office and Gloria Brown, Baker Resource Area Manager in Baker

City. Comments should be postmarked by January 17, 1997.

Public meetings have been held in John Day, Heppner, Pendleton,

LaGrande and Baker City regarding this proposal. Public open houses

will be held in Heppner, Pendleton, La Grande and Baker City. The need

for additional meetings will be evaluated based on the level of public

input as a result of public notification procedures. Any public

meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance.

Detailed information concerning the proposed exchange and plan

amendment, including the EIS, will be available at a later date at BLM

offices in Prineville, Baker City, John Day, and Portland. In Heppner

this information will be available in the public library. When the EIS

is completed in the early spring of 1997, another comment period will

be provided to allow for additional public input to the exchange and

associated plan amendment. This comment period will be announced in a

Federal Register notice and local media. Any final decision will also

be published to these same standards and applicable appeal or protest

period(s) provided.

Pursuant to 7 CFR, Part 1, Subpart B, Section 1.27, all written

submissions in response to this notice shall be made available for

public inspection including the submitter's name, unless the submitter

specifically requests confidentiality. Anonymous comments will not be

accepted. All written submissions from business entities and

organizations, submitted on official letterhead, in response to this

notice shall be made available for public inspection in their entirety.

Dated: November 20, 1996.

James L. Hancock,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 96-30735 Filed 12-2-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-33-M