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Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area

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Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area BLM Burns District Office Andrews/Steens Resource Management Plan Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area Record Of Decision and RODResource Management/RMP Plan August 2005 Public Lands USA: Use, Share, Appreciate As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interest of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. administration. Front Cover: Landscape view of the Steens Mountain Area by Jeffrey Nighbert, BLM Oregon State Office Geographer. This computer generated landscape illustrates a bird’s eye view from the south end of Steens Mountain to Malheur Lake in the north. United States Department of the Interior TAKE PRiOr BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT INAMERICA Burns District Office 28910 Hwy 20 West IN REPLY REFER TO: Hines, Oregon 97738 1610 (OR-025/0R-027) P Dear Interested Party: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA) Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Record of Decision (ROD) for management of BLM-administered land in the planning area. The CMPA RMP integrates all resource management activities into a single, unified land use plan that replaces the Andrews Management Framework Plan and its subsequent amendments, the Donner und Blitzen Wild and Scenic Rivers Plan, and amends the Three Rivers RMP for those lands within the CMP A. This RMP addresses management of 428,156 acres of public land in Harney County, Oregon. The ROD was prepared in accordance with BLM's planning regulations at 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1505.2, which require a concise document linking final land use plan decisions to the analysis presented in the Proposed RMP/Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Minor changes or points of clarification have been incorporated in response to further staff review and consideration of issues raised in the protest process. A 30-day protest period was provided on the proposed land use planning decisions contained in the Proposed RMP/FEIS in accordance with 43 CFR Part 1610.5-2. Six protests were received. After careful consideration of all points raised in these protests, the BLM Director concluded the responsible planning team and decision makers followed all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and pertinent resource considerations in developing the proposed plan. All protesting parties received a response from the BLM Director addressing their concerns. In accordance with the planning regulations, the BLM Director's decision on the protests is final for the Department of the Interior. The Governor of Oregon was provided a formal 60-day review period to determine if the proposed plan is consistent with existing State and local plans, programs, and policies. No such inconsistencies were identified. 2 The ROD serves as the final decision for "Land Use Planning Decisions" described in the RMP. Land use planning decisions are those which consist of desired outcomes (goals and objectives), allowable uses (uses or allocations that are allowable, restricted or prohibited), and management actions necessary to achieve those outcomes. Examples of land use planning decisions are visual resource management classifications, off-highway vehicle designations, and designation of right­ of-way avoidance/exclusion areas. No further administrative remedies are available for these land use planning decisions. Land use planning decisions provide management direction and guide future actions. Although land use planning decisions are final and effective upon signing of the ROD, most require additional decision steps (such as permit approvals) before activities having on-the-ground effects can proceed. The additional decision steps may require further analysis and would be subject to appeal. Other "Implementation-Level Decisions" (e.g., road maintenance assignments, motorized vehicle parking, and motorized access) addressed to a sufficient level of detail in the RMP/EIS process can be implemented over time without further NEPA analysis and are shown in Table R-l. These decisions will be implemented as funding and staff are available. A separate appeal opportunity for these decisions is being provided at this time. The appeal period will close 30 days from the date the Notice of Availability of the RODIRMP appears in the Federal Register. This date will also be announced via local news releases, Burns District Web site, and/or individual newsletter mailings. Please review the ROD carefully for a more detailed discussion of the appeal process. A 30-day appeal period is also being provided for the Steens Mountain Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Plan (Appendix P). This appeal period will run concurrently with the appeal period for all RMP implementation decisions. Additional hard copies and CD-ROM versions of the RMPIROD may be obtained at the address above. The document is also available on the internet at http://www.or.blm.gov/burnslPlanningiPlanningIndex.htm. We appreciate your help in this planning effort and look forward to your continued participation as the plan is implemented. For additional information or clarification regarding the document or the planning process, please contact Gary Foulkes at (541) 573-4541 or bye-mail to [email protected]. Sincerely, KaL(;t (~{ Karla Bird Joan M. Suther Andrews Resource Area Field Manager Three Rivers Resource Area Field Manager Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronym List . .v Record of Decision . .1 Introduction . .1 What the Decision/RMP Will Provide . .1 What the Decision/RMP Will Not Provide . .1 Land Use Plan Decisions . .1 Continuity of Previous Decisions . .2 Implementation Decisions . .2 Appeal Procedures for Implementation Decisions . .3 Overview of the Alternatives . .3 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis . .3 Alternatives Analyzed in Detail . .3 General Management Themes of the Alternatives . .4 Environmental Preferability of the Alternatives . .5 Management Considerations . .5 Rationale for the Decision . .5 Mitigation Measures . .6 Plan Monitoring . .6 Public Involvement in the Planning Process . .6 Scoping . .6 Subbasin Review . .7 Analysis of the Management Situation . .7 Draft Resource Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement . .7 Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement . .7 Consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . .7 Tribal Participation . .7 Other Participation . .8 RMP Implementation . .8 Managers’ Recommendations . .9 State Director Approval . .9 Resource Management Plan . .1 Introduction and Background . .1 Purpose of and Need for the Plan . .1 Planning Area . .2 Planning Process . .2 Planning Issues . .2 Issues Eliminated from Detailed Study . ..
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