U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior DRAFT BureauofLandManagement EugeneDistrictOffice 2890ChadDrive, P.O.Box10226 Eugene,Oregon97440 August1992 Eugene District Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement Volume I — /-,..:: -kJ&S^ + S-*- ' AstheNation'sprincipalconservationagency,theDepartmentoftheInteriorhasresponsibilityformostofournationallyownedpubliclandsandnatural resources.Thisincludesfosteringthewisestuseofourlandandwaterresources,protectingourfishandwildlife,preservingtheenvironmentaland culturalvaluesofournationalparksandhistoricalplaces,andprovidingfortheenjoymentoflifethroughoutdoorrecreation.TheDepartmentassesses ourenergyandmineralresourcesandworkstoassurethattheirdevelopmentisinthebestinterestofallourpeople.TheDepartmentalsohasamajor responsibilityforAmericanIndianreservationcommunitiesandforpeoplewholiveinIslandTerritoriesunderU.S.administration. *•#^tW>°o° <r <$? BLM-OR-PT-92-30-1792 . UnitedStatesDepartmentoftheInterior PRTIADKEEIN, AMERICA BUREAUOFLANDMANAGEMENT EUGENEDISTRICTOFFICE EUGEPN.EO,.BOORXEG1O02N2697440 INREPLYREFERTO: I9VL August 1992 Dear Reader: You are cordially invited to assist the Bureau of LandManagement (BLM) in a planning process that is important to you and your interests. We ask for your participation in evaluating this draft of the Eugene District's Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) that has been prepared in conformance with land use planning procedures establishedby the Federal Land Policy andManagement Act of 1976 The planning area encompassedby this document is BLM's Eugene District. The planning area includes 316,592 acres of Federal land administeredby BLM, primarily in Lane, Linn and Douglas Counties. Minor acreages of Benton County are also covered. There are sevenmanagement alternatives, each with a different emphasis and each addressing the planning issues in a different way. Public comment played an important role in shaping both the issues and the alternatives, whichhave been analyzed in this RMP/EIS. Before the preferred alternative was developed, suggestions received from individuals, interest groups and other governmental entities were thoroughly considered. These suggestions were used to strike a reasonable balance, considering relevant legal mandates, between the expressed desires of some to emphasize the production of commodity resources; the desires to maintain the current flow of resources from the public lands; and the desires to protect, restore and enhance natural values. Through this Draft RMP/EIS, the BLMhas tentatively established: resource moabnjaegcetmiveenst gaonadlsspe(casifiecxpmraensasgeedmebnyteaacchtioanlstertnhaattivweo)ul;dredseotuerrcmeinemantahegempeonttential land uses; levels of resource production; areas inwhich use restrictions would apply; and lands that couldbe transferred, sold or exchanged. The end product of this planning process will be a Resource Management Plan (RMP) that will integrate the natural resources and their subsequent uses into a balanced, sustainable approach to multiple use management of the Eugene District for the next 10 years. Your participation in guiding the future management of these lands is encouraged. This RMP will replace and supersede t19h8e3.EugeWnheenDicsotmprliecttedM,anatgheismenRtMPFwrialmlewoersktabPlliasnh(sMFpPe)ci,fiwchiclhanwdasusecomapllloectaetdioinns and BLMLIBRARY RS150ASLDG.50 DENVcRFEDERALCENTER P.O.BOX25047 DEiWER.CO 80??fi . management direction for commercial forest harvest, biological diversity, special status species, wildlife habitat, recreation, areas of critical environmental concern, visual resources, cultural resources, energy andminerals management, land tenure adjustment, and rights-of-way for BLM administered lands in the entire planning area, and identify rivers suitable for national wild, scenic or recreational river status. We would appreciate you reviewing this document andproviding us with your written comments by December 21, 1992. Comments are most useful when they address one or more of the following: 1) errors in the analysis that has been performed; 2) new information that wouldhave a bearing on the analysis; 3) misinformation that may have beenutilized and could affect the outcome of the analysis; 4) requests for clarification; and 5) support of an existing alternative or definition of a substantive new alternative with the range of alternatives considered (an alternative that wouldprovide a different mix of aqarluelaonctoaitthfieiorendsepfrfteihcmatansryanoynecoesnoxocimisiatclingveaflfauelectstesrntahotfaitvteha)ere.aliAtmleptorrhntaoatunigtvh,eswee,vhweeanvertehcoioudggenhnitzitefhieyetdhaatraendtvheerrey difficult to describe or measure. Your comments may help us to better address these and other effects in the proposedRMP/final EIS. To assist you in this, you are invited to contact Jon Strandjord, planning team leader, at any time during the comment period. The major plant group map referenced in the RMP/EIS is currently not available. The map will be available in about two weeks andwill be mailed to those receiving this document. BLM employees will be available at informal public meetings to be held during the comment period. An openhouse is scheduled for September 30, 1992 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at our office. Other public meetings will be scheduled as needed. If you are interested in an overview of all six of BLM's western Oregon draft Resource Management Plans, our Oregon State Office has published an executive summary of them. A copymay be obtained in our office or by writing them at P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208. Thank you for your interest in the multiple use management of BLM administered lands Sincerely, District Manager Eugene District U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of LandManagement Draft Eugene District Resource Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement Preparedby- Eugene District Office Vs9k^£*-=-L \*rtaMo\.^ D. Dean Bibles Ronald L. Kaufman State Director, Oregon/Washington District Manager, Eugene District Abstract Draft(X)Final()RMP/EIS DepartmentoftheInterior BureauofLandManagement 1.TypeofAction:Administrative(X)Legislative(). 2 AacBebaxgulsireltsyemrtiaaeincunmgtpt-opoflTorahtLnnaia)ns3nt1adD6rvr,eMaa5flaat9unn2eRaaslegaystcezoormeeumdesra.ncontTefahiFgMeneeasdimnetesearaEnagllutetgemlareeannnnnaddettiaevDPnnielssdhtaarrni1na/c,tcnE2.eng9veSm9ieeiravnnoctenernmemoesfpanhlovttafaaesllrriuneesIasstmefiprsvraveuocescmtdhihSnmiatcigslanhutebdrepiiamornlleogodnegNutsicotctaaaidltAodecdntriaievodoesfmrnsstiei(intsnmiyobs,retcesreshproaoaeuntndrtdgcebeedeycimotonwhantlenoh-mei- habitat,oldgrowthforests,dispersedrecreationopportunities,andscenicresources. ThePreferredAlternativewouldprovideforaplannedannualtimbersalelevelof19.9mmcf(119mmbf, ScribnerShortLog),whilemaintainingwaterqualityinallwatersheds.Oldgrowthforestacreagewouldbe reducedbyabout2,700acres(7percent)intheshort-term,fiveadditionalAreasofCriticalEnvironmental Concern(ACECs)wouldbedesignated,andthreesegmentsofriverwouldbefoundsuitablefordesignation undertheWildandScenicRiversAct. 3.ThecommentperiodwillendonDecember21,1992. 4.Forfurtherinformationcontact: JonStrandjord RMP/EISTeamLeader BureauofLandManagement EugeneDistrictOffice 2890ChadDrive P.O.Box10226 Eugene,Oregon97440 IV User's Guide TEIhSe.SItusmummmaarryizpersesaelnltasltaersnyantoivpessisbuotfptrheesDernatfstmRoMrPe/ Cachtaipotnse,rw1h.iTchhecaolutledrnraetsiovlevseptrhoeviidsesuaesm.ixThoifsucsheasptaenrd detailforthePreferredAlternative.Itsummarizesthe includesatabularsummaryofthealternativessothey landuseallocationsforallissues,andincludesbrief canbecompared.Italsoincludesmapsdisplayingthe descriptionsofenvironmentalconsequences,monitor- majorlanduseallocationsforeachalternative,except ing,consistencywithothergovernmententities,and NoAction.Thesemapsarelocatedinamappacket publicinvolvement. includedwiththisdocument. Chapter1istheIntroductiontotheDraftRMP/EIS. Chapter3(AffectedEnvironment)describesthe Thischapterincludesadescriptionoftheplanning environmentthatcouldbeaffectedorchangedby areaandthepurposeandneedforpreparingtheRMP/ implementinganyofthealternatives.Thischapter EIS.ItalsoincludesadiscussionoftheRMPrelation- includesadescriptionoftheenvironmentalfactors shiptoBLMpolicies,programs,andotherplans,and (waterresources,vegetation,wildlifehabitat,visual describestheplanningprocessandplanningcriteria. resources,etc.)andmajoruses(recreation,timber, Finally,itidentifiestheissuesorconcernstobe etc.)relatedtotheissues. addressedintheRMP/EISprocess. Chapter4(EnvironmentalConsequences)describes Chapter2(DescriptionoftheAlternativesincludingthe potentialimpactsandchangestotheaffectedenviron- aPrgeefmeernretddAilrteecrtniaotnivceo)mhmaosntwtooamlaljaolrtesrenacttiivoenss,-amnadn- minecnltudiefsanaynoofvtehreviaelwteorfnaetaivcehsawletrerenaitmivpel'esmerenltaetdi.onsIthip alternativesandmanagementdirectionbyalternative. toplansandprogramsofothergovernmentagencies. Tinhgehfoirwstlsaencdtsiownoiuslpdarbteicumlaanrlaygiemdpourntdanetrteoveurnydeprlsatnand- Chapter5describesagenciesandorganizationsBLM alternative.Thischapterdescribessevendifferent hasworkedwithduringthepreparationoftheDraft alternativesthatrespondtothe11issuesidentifiedin aRgMePn/cEiIeSs.aIntddissucmumsasersizreeslepvuabnltirceilnavtioolnvsehmiepnst.withother VI RMP/EIS Summary ! vii Summary VIII