BLM revises plans on land management

The federal Bureau of Land Management is looking to increase lumber production on 2.5 million acres of land in western Oregon, including about 72,000 acres in Clackamas County and 9,300 acres in the Sandy River Basin, the agency announced this month.

In a draft environmental impact statement, the BLM presented a preferred plan of action to better meet existing harvest levels, as well as three other alternates.

“The BLM is revising the (plans) that help guide our decision-making in western Oregon in order to meet our dual goals of timber output and continuing to provide for habitat and conservation of federally listed species,” Ed Shepard, BLM state director in Oregon, said in a press release. “This effort is one of the most significant planning undertakings in western Oregon.”

The key differences between the four plans have to do with various criteria: the width and management of stream areas; the retention of green trees, snags and down wood; salvaging after disturbances; and the management of habitat for the northern spotted owl and the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that nests in old-growth forests.

One of the alternatives is a non-action option, which would continue the current resource plans approved in 1995, and three new alternatives.

A steering committee, made up of representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation, among others, reviewed the alternatives and made its recommendation to the BLM.

That committee picked “alternative two,” which would permit harvesting old-growth forests after disturbances – such as fire or storm damage – provide a 100-foot non-harvesting and shade retention area to most streams in timber management areas and yield “continuous timber production” for trees 80 to 100 years old.

“The steering committee looked at the preliminary results of the analysis (performed on the BLM land), then they looked at the purpose and need and basically decided that alternative two came closest to meet (that),” said Randy Gould, a BLM planner. “We’re already aware of some things we need to change; that’s why it’s a draft.”

At least one environmental organization, Oregon Wild (formerly the Oregon Natural Resources Council), already has taken a stance against the new plans due to concerns about the potential impact on the environment.

“I don’t think there are many people in the Sandy area who want to see the return to clear cutting of our last remaining old-growth forests,” said Erik Fernandez, a wilderness coordinator for Oregon Wild. “This plan means people will see less wildlife in the forests and fewer fish in the rivers around Sandy. There’s no way to argue this plan will be good for fish and wildlife.”

A series of meetings has been scheduled to obtain public comment on the plans, the closest meeting to Sandy will be held at the Molalla Public Library from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20. A final decision on the plans is expected next spring, but as Gould noted, the final plan will likely contain elements of all the alternatives.

“The end result plan will grab the best parts of all the alternatives to make the best plan,” Gould said. “This is a starting point to begin the discussions. The public can weigh in on the alternatives and arrive at a final plan based on that.”

A full copy of the environmental impact statement is available at www.blm.gov/or/plans/wopr/deis/index.php. For more information, visit www.blm.gov/or/st/en.html.