U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior BureauofLandManagement MedfordDistrictOffice 3040BiddleRoad Medford,Oregon97504 February1991 Summary of the Analysis of the Management Situation Medford DistrictOffice Resource Management Plan AstheNation'sprincipalconservationagency,theDepartmentoftheInteriorhasresponsibilityformostofournationallyownedpublic landsandnaturalresources.Thisincludesfosteringthewisestuseofourlandandwaterresources,protectingourfishandwildlife, preservingtheenvironmentalandculturalvaluesofournationalparksandhistoricalplaces,andprovidingfortheenjoymentoflifethrough outdoorrecreation.TheDepartmentassessesourenergyandmineralresourcesandworkstoassurethattheirdevelopmentisinthe bestinterestofallourpeople.TheDepartmentalsohasamajorresponsibilityforAmericanIndianreservationcommunitiesandforpeople wholiveinIslandTerritoriesunderU.S.administration. BLM-OR-PT-91-11-1792 CoverPhoto:courtesyofTheNatureConservancy. i \ IMS. UnitedStatesDepartmentoftheInterior Jjjgjljj BUMREEDAFUOORFDLDAINSDTRMIACTNAOGFEFIMCEENT ^S ™ MED3F0O4R0DB,IDODRLEEGROONA9D7504 ™REPLYREFERTO: Febuary1991 DearConcernedCitizen: ThisbookletisaSummaryoftheAnalysisoftheManagementSituation(AMS)fortheresourcemanagement plan/environmentalimpactstatement(RMP/EIS)wearepreparing. TheAMScontainsinformationabout existingresourceconditions,uses,anddemands,aswellasmanagementactivitiesandopportunities. It providesthebasisforsubsequentstepsintheplanningprocess,suchasthedesignofallalternativesandthe analysisofenvironmentalconsequences. TheAMSprovidesmostofthedatathatwillbesummarizedinthe affectedenvironmentchapteroftheRMP/EIS. TAhMisSAaMndSmSourmemdaertayilheidghmliagphtssadraetaavianiltahbelAeMfoSr.reTvhieewmianptsheiMnceldufdoerddinDiisttraircetnOoftfidcee.tailedduetoscale. The YourcommentsontheinformationintheAMSSummaryorAMSwillhelpusverifyitsaccuracy. Ifyouthink wehaveoverlookedinformationaboutBLMresourcesrelevanttodevelopmentoftheplan,pleaseletus know. Thetimbersectioninthisdocumentisincomplete. Completeinformationwillbesentinasupplemental documentonlytothosewhorequestitinearly1991. Thesupplementwillincludethehighestpotential sustainedyearlytimbersalevolume,economicefficiencyanalysesonseveralsilviculturalpractices,anda summaryofsensitivityanalysesthatwilldepicttheeffectofvariousmanagementconstraintssuchasharvest age,size,oreconomicconstraints,etc.,wouldhaveonsustainedyieldlevels. InadditiontoyourcommentsontheAMSandAMSSummary,weareinterestedinyoursuggestionfor criteriaweshouldconsiderinformulatingofthepreferredalternative. Appendix3containsStateDirector Guidanceforgoals,objectives,andcriteriaforthefivecommonalternativesweproposetoanalyzeinthe draftRMP/EIS. Thefivecommonalternatives,anoactionalternative,andanasyet-to-be-identifiedpreferredalternativewill beanalyzedinthedraftRMP/EISbeingpreparedbyeachofthesixBLMOregondistricts. Ifoneofthe outlinedalternativesfitsyourobjectiveforapreferredalternative,pleaseletusknow. Insteadyoumaywish tosuggestapreferredalternativethatblendselementsofseveralofthealternatives,includingthenoaction alternative. Aspartofthepreferredalternative,youmaywanttospecifymanagementopportunitiesidentified intheAMSorAMSSummary,orincludemanagementopportunitiesyoufeelarerelevantbutarenotidenti- fiedineitherdocument. Obviously,theBLMmustchooseapreferredalternativethatcomplieswithlegalrequirementsapplicableto managementofthelandsitadministers. Therefore,inpresentingyoursuggestionsforpreferredalternative criteria,itwouldbehelpfulifyouwouldrelatehowthepreferredalternative,formulatedfromyoursuggested criteria,wouldachievelegally-requiredBLMobjectives. FormostBLMadministeredlandstheseobjectives arecontainedintheO&CAct. AworksheetforyouruseincommentingontheAMSand/orprovidingsuggestionsaboutthepreferred alternativeisinsertedinthemiddleofthisbooklet. tPhleeamseasswenedmuosvyeouarhecaodmmwietnhtosur(wphleatnhneirngyoefufourts.eAtfhteerinrseervtieowrinnogt)thbeycMoamrmcehnt2s2,,w19e91wil,lsorewviesectahnecAonMsSidaesr appropriate,finishformulatingalternatives,analyzetheireffects,andthenselectapreferredalternative. The DraftRMP/EISreflectingtheserevisionsandstepswillbeissuedforpubliccommentaroundtheendof1991. . ForthosewhowishtodiscusstheinformationinthisSummaryortheproposedalternatives,wehavesched- uledthefollowinginformalopenhouses: MedfordDistrictOffice March4,3:00-7:00p.m. 3040BiddleRoad Medford,OR97504 SiskiyouForestSupervisor'sOffice March11,3:00-7:00p.m. SiskiyouNationalForest 200N.E.GreenfieldRoad GrantsPass,OR97526 AdditionalopenhouseswillbescheduledinGlendale,Ruch,Ashland,andWilliams. Thankyouforyourhe!pwiththisplanningeffort. Welookforwardtoyourcontinuinginterestandparticipa- tion. Foradditionalinformationorclarification,pleasecontactGretchenLloydat(503)770-2251 / Sincerely,4>Jy, * DavidA.Jones DistrictManager MedfordDistrict - V v ol U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior BureauofLandManagement MedfordDistrict February1991 Summary ofthe AnalysisoftheManagementSystem forthe BLMLIBRARY MedfordDistrict SC-324A,BLDG.50 DENVERFEDERALCENTER P.0.BOX25047 DENVER,CO 80225-0047 TableofContents Page Introduction 1 ReviewofExistingDecisions 1 ThePlanningArea 1 AirResources 1 SoilResources 9 WaterResources 11 Vegetation 19 TimberResources 23 Animals 36 CulturalandPaleontologicalResources 40 SpecialAreas 41 Recreation 46 VisualResources 49 WildandScenicRivers 54 Wilderness 60 Minerals 61 LandsandRights-of-Way 62 Roads 63 Access 63 Fire 64 SocioeconomicConditions 65 RuralInterfaceAreas 67 LivestockGrazing 69 InterrelationshipswithOtherAgencies 70 Appendices Appendix1. TheResourceManagementPlanningProcess 73 Appendix2. PublicInvolvementintheProcessSoFar 75 Appendix3. CriteriaforProposedAlternatives 77 Maps Map1. GeneralLocation 2 Map2. LandStatus 4 Map3. SensitiveAirQualityAreas 8 Map4. AnalyticalandCommunityWaterWatersheds 16 Map5. SpecialAreas 42 Map6. RecreationSites 50 Map7. VisuallySensitiveAreas 52 Map8. Wild,Scenic,andRecreationalRivers 58 .. Tables 1 ExistingDecisions-ValidWithoutFurtherAnalysis 3 2. ExistingDecisions-ValidSubjecttoFurtherAnalysis 6 3. BLM-administeredAcreagebyCounty ... 7 4. FragileNonsuitableWoodland 10 5. FragileSuitableCommercialForestlands 10 6. AnalyticalWatersheds 13 7. CommunityWaterSystems 18 8. AcresofMajorPlantGroupingsandSeraiStages 19 9. PriorityPlantSpecies 20 10. Comparisonof1976and1988InventoryData 26 11 ReforestationStatusforJosephine,Jackson,andKlamathFallsSYUsfortheDecade 27 1123.. TTiPmCbCerSMuamnmaagreym,eOncttoabnedr1F,or1e9s8t8DevelopmentAccomplishmentstoOctober1,1988 2298 14. TPCC,Summary1977 31 15. OpportunitiesforTreatmentintheNextDecade 33 16. SummaryofSensitivityAnalyses 34 17. ExistingSpecialAreas 44 18. ResultsofACECIdentificationandScreeningProcess 45 19. RecreationLocationsbyResourceArea 48 20. SpecialRecreationManagementAreas 49 21. ProjectedIncreasesinDemandforRecreationonBLM-administeredLands 49 22. DesignatedWild,Scenic,andRecreationalRivers 54 23. NRI-listedandOtherPotentialRivers 55 24. CurrentManagementofInstantandWildernessStudyAreas 61 25. MineralPotential 62 26. SummaryofAcreagesburnedbyPrescribedFire1980to1988 65 27. O&CRevenuesandPropertyTaxesforWesternOregonCounties,FY1983-84to1987-88 66 28. SupportofManagementPracticebyLocation 66 29. PotentialProblemsinRuralInterfaceArea 67 30. AcresinRuralInterfaceArea 67 31. GrazingAllotments 69 sntrootJGiion decisionswillberestatedorsummarizedtoincorpo- ratethemintotheresourcemanagementplan Thisdocumentsummarizesinformationidentifiedin (RMP). Theywillbecommontoallalternatives. tcM(pshooBoetenLudedMrfAni)cotnt.eiiarasoldlnyTissDhmn,iiiastsscthnruoieiarfncrgptfMeleoonaarmftnmnetanmanhtiageitnneogBnoamuapgeirprenneoecarmtal.teuuuSndnioetitfstuidaLeietaxrsiienofcsndottiri(MonAanagl,MlnrSarae)engs-doefuomrrectnehte Ttfddauheanelcrabtlliyoleysuerssigmuio2hipsnnpstsoeohufwdremittlmt1lehoa9debr9bmeii0enszcwv,tieoalesllamrirbdmdmeeesofcnoioinorfnstccitaooooanrnndaapstldlolyirwrsnaehaiulsitsetcs.eedhder,dnTiiamhnaitptelnioltsvaehetenmsoheuevaEnagIntlhiaSddtoiron environmentalconsequencessectionoftheEIS. Theexistingresourceconditionssectionsprovide amPnloaaslnt/yoEzfnevdtihirenoatnfhmfeeencuttpaecldoIemmnipvnaigcrtoRneSmsteoanuttermcdeaentMatat(nhRaaMtgPw/eiElmlIeSbn)et. wEixlilsbtiengredpelcaicseidonbsynnoetwindcelcuidseidoninsTianbtlheesR1MPan.d2 TheexistingManagementFrameworkPlans PlanningAreaDescription (MFPs)fortheJosephineandJackson-Klamath SreugsatradiinnegdcYuirerledntUnmiatsnapgroevmiednetthdeirbeacstiiocn.infEoarcmahtion LocationandSize resourceelementdrawsoninformationcontainedin thosedocumentsaswellasotherpolicies,agree- TheMedfordDistrictResourceManagementPlan/ ments,anddocuments. EnvironmentalImpactStatement(RMP/EIS)will analyzeimpactsassociatedwithmanagementof Tsthreatmegaineasgfeormemanitntoapipnoirntgunoirtieenshsaencctiinognsrecosnotuaricnes 8s6ub6s,u3r0f0acaecrmeisneofraplubelsitcatleanwdhearnedt2h,e24B0LaMcriessthoef onBLM-administeredlands. Theywillbecome administeringagency. TheMedfordDistrictplan- elementsofalternativestobeanalyzedintheRMP/ ningareaislocatedinfivecountiesinwestern EIS. Oregon(seeTable3). AtDhiparpteecwntidlolrixbgeumiaadtnaearnlicyaezlesfdoirnifntohtrihmseudlRoaMtciPuo/mnEeIonfSt.thdeesaclrtiebrenaSttiavtese TosRonhivueMetrghaew-pneCes1rot.aewlrTnChloreOceraMeteekigdoodnfinoovrfibddteehtDeoiwsnetpreltinahcntetnihinseonlrgStoohacuarattenehaddiUsitmnhspehqouwan AutomatedresourcedatafromthewesternOregon OregonandCaliforniaboundaryonthesouth.The dtiihngefiottraelmcadhtaniitocanablsaysmsaettee(rmWisaOltDefDocBrh)nboolatohngdtyhreseulApaptMleSidegdaenomdgurtcahhpehoifc wtcheoesutneteayrsntbeobruonnudbnaodruaynr.dyaiMrsyagpeisn2etrhsaehllJoyawcstkhgeseoCnnoearaasnltdlRKaalnnadmgsaettaahtnusd AMSSummary. withintheplanningareaanddelineatesthere- sourceareaandmasterunitboundaries. ReviewofExisting PortionsoftheSiskiyouandRogueNational Decisions Forestsareothermajorfederallandswithinthe planningarea. Areviewofexistingdecisionsandinformationin relatedenvironmentaldocumentshasbeencon- AirResources ductedtodeterminewhichremainvalidandmaybe usedforcontinuedimplementationthroughthe 1990s. Thisreviewfollowedtherequirementsof ExistingConditions BLMManual1618.2. Notincludedinthereview wereexistingright-of-wayagreements,leases, The1967CleanAirAct,amendedin1972and permits,etc.,whichconstitutevalidexistingrights 1979,requiredOregontomeetvisibilityandhealth throughthe1990s. standardsthroughthedevelopmentandimplemen- tationofaStateImplementationPlan(SIP). The Table1summarizesdecisionswhichwillbecarried SIPestablishedbaselineincrementsforallClassI forwardforimplementationthroughthe1990s areas. Italsospecifieda22percentreductionin withoutfurtherenvironmentalanalysis. These emissionsfromthebaselineperiodof1976-1979by 1 U.S. DEPARTMENTOFTHE INTERIOR BLMStateOffice Bureau of Land Management BLMDistrictOffice BLMResourceAreaOffice MEDFORD DISTRICT DistriclBoundary KlamathFallsPlanningAreaBoundary n MedfordPlanningArea MAP 1 OMtahneargeWmeeslnetrnPlOarnengiongnARreesaosurce GENERAL LOCATION MEDFORD PLANNING AREA