United States rt0f Upper Deschutes River TForestService Wild and Scenic Pacific Northwest Region Record of Decision and 4Deschutes __ Final Environmental Impact Statement July 1996 09EGQ -Vy MEMORIAL During the preparation of this plan Tom Felando Forest Service hy drologist and key contributor to the plan died suddenly of heart attack He left behind wife and two children hiked Tom lived life with zest and passion He fished he played sports he and explored He shared his oy for life with his family and friends Tom always had smile and kind word for those he met Early in the planning process Tom recognized the potential that water conservation held for returning water to the river while continuing agricultural uses He was an advocate for sound management and building bridges between people to benefit the Des chutes River His contributions and his caring will continue to live on through tfis plan and through the people he touched during his life He will be greatly missed 00 Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River Record of Decision Final Environmental Impact Statement July 1996 Cooperating ffl4sc Agencies National U.S Forest Service Lead Agency Confederated Tribes of the Warms Springs g0EGo Oregon State Parks Recreation Department ____ THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES Oregon State Marine Board OF THE WARM SPHNGS RESERVAflON OF Oregon State Water Resources Department OYOk Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife L1 Environmental Oregon Department of Quality _________ _______ Oregon Division of State Lands North Unit Irrigation District f1EO Central Oregon Irrigation District Deschutes County City of Bend Bureau of Land piR1RE1 Management Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation Bureau of Indian Affairs 5RIC41 DIv1sION OF STATE LANDS ___________ art --.j----Jw._n...uurrnvr..._-jp flJSIa_rWrk...ptr ft -Up _rfta Jar ft .Ir -J .M r_ft1UTh Record of Decision for the Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River FEIS and Management Plan Amendment12 to the Deschutes National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Introduction The Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River corridor is block of land totaling approximately 17000 acres It begins just downstream of Wickiup Darn at the Wickiup gauging station which is approximately 30 miles southwest of Bend Oregon and continues downstream to the Bend Urban Growth Boundary The river is classified as Scenic and Recreation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act The legislation designating the Upper River the Forest Service to Deschutes as part of the national Wild and Scenic system requires prepare comprehensive management plan for the river corridor This management plan was developed through preparation of the Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River Environmental Impact Statement EIS The Notice of Intent to prepare this EIS was published in the Federal Register on January 1992 57 FR 47836 The Upper Deschutes River Wild and Scenic River and State Scenic Waterway Comprehensive Management Plan hereafter called the Upper Deschutes River Plan is an innovative concept in river management It is the result of collaborative effort between federal tribal state and local governments to develop common vision of future river management number of federal tribal state and local agencies have authority over or interests in land and water uses within the Upper Deschutes corridor See FEIS Chapter The Forest Service joined collaborative effort to address management issues on the river Once adopted by the cooperating agencies the Upper Deschutes River Plan will provide management direction for number of different river authorities This Record of Decision establishes the Upper Deschutes River Plan as management direction for the Deschutes National Forest by amending the Deschutes National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Forest Plan to create new management area MA-17A The Upper Deschutes River Plan is being adopted by many agencies however this decision that the Plan is the of the Forest applies only to portion of which under jurisdiction Service Record of Decision Forest Service Authority As the federal agency designated to administer the Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic the Forest Service is River required to set resource management goals necessary to protect and enhance Outstandingly Remarkable Values and to manage federal land adjacent to the river However the Forest Service does not have exclusive jurisdiction over the Upper Deschutes River The Forest Supervisor has the authority to establish boundary for the Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River and to select an alternative for managing those resources and activities which are under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service The Wild and Scenic River Act specifies that the Upper Deschutes River Plan shall be coordinated with resource management planning for affected adjacent Federal lands The National Forest Management Act of 1976 required the preparation of Forest Plans to direct management of each National Forest The 1990 Deschutes Land and Resource Management Plan Forest Plan as amended by the Regional Foresters Forest Plan Amendment and Inland Native Fish Strategy has served as interim management direction for the Upper Deschutes River corridor until the completion of this plan The FEIS and ROD for the Upper Deschutes River amends the Deschutes National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan to create the Upper Deschutes River Management Area The direction in the Upper Deschutes River Plan results from the extensive analysis and considerations documented in the accompanying Final Environmental Impact Statement EElS This plan is based on Alternative described in the FEIS The new management area direction will continue all current management direction and forestwide standards and guidelines except where specifically amended by the plan Standards and guidelines of the new management area will replace all other management area direction except as follows Standards and guidelines for Old Growth Bald Eagle and Pringle Falls Experimental Forest Management Areas will continue to apply unless they conflict with the standards and guidelines for the Wild and Scenic River In the case of conflict sitespeci tic analysis will determine whether the standards and guidelines for the WS River Management and still and enhance river values the Wild and Area could be amended protect as required by Scenic Rivers Act If the Upper Deschutes River Plan does not speak to particular issue the river corridor will be managed in accordance with the laws rules and regulations pertaining to the National Forest System and the Deschutes National Forest the State of Oregon Deschutes County and the City of Bend to the extent that such laws and regulations are consistent with the Wild and Scenic River Act All proposed projects must be tested for consistency with the Upper Deschutes River If is ftmnd to Plan during the site-specific analysis or permitting process proposed project be inconsistent one of three choices must be made change the project drop the project or amend the Upper Deschutes River Plan Record of Decision have the In many cases one or more elements of the Upper Deschutes River Plan of authorities other than the Forest potential to affect plans and programs under the jurisdiction within Forest Service Service Changes to these existing plans policies or programs are not jurisdiction and must be undertaken by proper authority The Upper Deschutes River Plan is an administrative agreement between the Forest described in this which are outside Service and the cooperative agencies All decisions ROD of the Forest Services authority to implement are recommendations to other agencies different in order Each of the cooperators in this effort will be going through processes to adopt the final management plan For most of the public entities that means going through administrative this will process to adopt specific ordinances rules or regulations Often boards or and include public include an approval process by specific commissions hearings the are Specific actions which must be taken by other authorities to adopt management plan discussed in the Upper Deschutes River Plan Amendment to the Forest Plan Act The Upper Deschutes River Plan complies with the National Environmental Policy different draft environmental impact statement and management plan DEIS analyzing six in October 1995 The alternatives for future management was released for public review in the Federal on October 1995 FR Notice of Availability was printed Register 27 59 1017 FEIS Comments were received on the draft ETS up to January 29 1996 See Appendix the These comments resulted in changes to the draft preferred alternative and to analysis final environmental statement These changes are reflected in this decision and the impact This Record of Decision and the Final FEIS on which it is based accompanying Land and Resource Environmental Impact Statement will amend the Deschutes National Forest Management Plan Forest Plan Decisions and Recommendations in the FEIS for the of My decision is to select Alternative as identified management River Plan the the Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River The Upper Deschutes presents with selected alternative in Standard and Guideline format consistent the Deschutes National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Alternative is modification of the Draft EIS Preferred Alternative and was prepared information Substantive between the DEIS in response to public comments and new changes Preferred Alternative and Alternative include which not maintained for All-terrain vehicles ATV5 would be permitted