BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OR-030-2013-02
Date: 11/8/2012
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Mark Wilkening
(541) 473-6218
BLM Scoping Report is available
VALE, ORE. – In May of 2010, the Vale District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) initiated
public scoping and tribal consultation regarding a proposed amendment to the Southeastern
Oregon Resource Management Plan (RMP). The planning area covers approximately 4.6 million
acres of BLM-administered public lands in Malheur, Harney and Grant Counties.
The BLM has recently published a Scoping Report which contains a summary of comments
received and the nine main issues that the BLM intends to address during this plan amendment
process. This document is available for viewing or downloading from BLM’s website at
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/plans/seormpa/index.php
Since the time the Southeastern Oregon RMP amendment was initiated, Greater Sage-Grouse
conservation has arisen as a national priority issue. In recent months the BLM State Director
made a decision to address sage-grouse management on BLM-administered lands in the Vale
District within the ongoing Oregon Sub-Region Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation RMP
Amendments, which covers BLM-administered lands throughout eastern Oregon. The preparation
of the Oregon Sub-Region Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation RMP Amendments has become a
higher priority than all other planning efforts in eastern Oregon. Thus, the Southeastern Oregon
RMP will first be amended to address Greater Sage-Grouse conservation measures. Once the
Greater Sage-Grouse RMP Amendment effort is completed, the BLM expects to resume work on
the Southeastern Oregon RMP Amendment.
If you would like to receive a hard copy of the Scoping Report or have any questions about either
plan amendment contact Brent Grasty, [email protected] or phone: 541-473-6341.
For further information, you can contact the Vale District at 541-473-3144 or 541-473-6295 or
visit their website at www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale .
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land – the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System
of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface
mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more
than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies
that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates
on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and
enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock
grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
-BLM-