United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Tillamook Field Office, Northwest District 4610 Third Street, Tillamook, Oregon 97141 http://www.blm.gov

Dear Reader:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Tillamook Field Office, Northwest Oregon District Office is considering the North Yamhill Timber Management Project (North Yamhill Project) located on BLM- administered land in Township 2 South, Range 5 West, sections 19, 20, 28 & 31; Township 2 South, Range 6 West, sections 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, 28, 29 & 33; Township 3 South, Range 5 West, sections 5, 6 & 7; and Township 3 South, Range 6 West, section 1, Willamette Meridian in Yamhill County, Oregon. The North Yamhill project area is approximately 9 miles west of the city of Yamhill, Oregon in the Upper North and Haskins Creek sub-watersheds (see enclosed map).

The North Yamhill Project is being developed to contribute to specific management objectives established by the 2016 Northwestern and Coastal Oregon Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (ROD/RMP) for the Harvest Land Base-Moderate Intensity Timber Area (HLB-MITA) and Riparian Reserve (RR) land use allocations (LUAs). Objectives within the HLB-MITA include: managing forest stands to achieve continual timber production that can be sustained through a balance of growth and harvest; offering for sale the declared Allowable Sale Quantity; and enhancing the economic value of timber in forest stands (ROD/RMP p. 59). Objectives within the RR (the project area is within Class II sub-watersheds as defined by the ROD/RMP) include promoting the development of large, open grown trees, layered canopies and multi-cohort stands, diverse understory plant communities, and allowing for hardwood vigor and persistence (ROD/RMP p. 72-73).

To contribute to the objectives of the HLB-MITA and RR within the North Yamhill project area, an interdisciplinary team (IDT) has conducted a comprehensive review of all project area forest stands and has developed the following proposal:

Within the HLB-MITA: • regeneration harvest on approximately 7001 acres in forest stands 55 to 104 years of age • commercial thinning on approximately 1,100 acres in forest stands 50 to 85 years of age • post-harvest reforestation within regeneration harvest units with a variety of native species • post-harvest snag creation

Within the RR: • commercial thinning on approximately 130 acres in Douglas-fir dominated forest stands 52 to 90 years of age

______1 The acreages and road miles shown above are based on Geographical Information System data. We expect as the proposal is developed more thoroughly these acreages may change.

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• post-harvest underplanting with shade tolerant native species in portions of the treated stands • post-harvest tree felling to create down wood habitat within and adjacent to the treated stands • post-harvest snag creation

Connected Actions: • approximately 12 miles of newly constructed road (both permanent and temporary) to operationally harvest treatment stands • existing road maintenance, renovation, and improvement • rock sourcing activities • culvert and cross drain installation and replacement • post-harvest site preparation and fuel reduction activities

You have been identified as someone who might have specific knowledge or interest in this area. The purpose of this letter is to give you an opportunity to share any information or concerns you may have about the proposed project that will help us fully develop the proposal to meet the management objectives described above. Be advised that, due to the intermingled nature of BLM and private lands in the project area, there is little legal public access to BLM parcels.

I would appreciate your written comments by close of business on November 21, 2018. Written comments may be sent to Karen Schank, Tillamook Field Manager, BLM Tillamook Field Office, 4610 Third Street, Tillamook, Oregon, 97141, or submitted by email to [email protected]. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the Tillamook Field Office during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays, and may be published as part of environmental analysis documents or related correspondence.

Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.

Your interest in the management of public lands is appreciated and we encourage your participation in the development of this project. If you have more specific questions regarding this proposal you can contact Landon Rhodes at 541-471-6608.

Sincerely,

Karen M. Schank Field Manager, Tillamook Field Office

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