BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OR120-11-5
For release: December 13, 2010
Contact: Megan Harper
541-751-4353
Comments Sought on Spruce Reach Island House Removal
Reedsport, Ore. – The Coos Bay District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking
comments on the agency’s proposal to remove the Spruce Reach house on Spruce Reach Island,
east of Reedsport.
The BLM is preparing an environmental assessment to analyze the removal of the house. The
decision to remove the house was made in the 1998 Final Amendment to the 1993 Dean Creek
Elk Viewing Area Activity Management Plan. The environmental analysis for the 1998 decision
is no longer sufficient due to new information about the presence of several species of bats
inhabiting the structure. The team writing the environmental assessment will evaluate the
impacts associated with the timing and methods of house removal, as well as mitigation
measures for the bats.
“The house is deteriorating. As such, it represents a public safety concern,” said Dennis
Turowski, Umpqua Field Manager. “We want people to be able to access and enjoy the
rhododendron garden, but we also want to make sure they are safe when they visit the site.”
The public is invited to submit written comments on any issues or concerns they have regarding
the project by January 2, 2011. Comments should be addressed to John Colby, Coos Bay District
BLM, 1300 Airport Lane, North Bend, OR 97459 or e-mail to [email protected]
Attn: John Colby.
BLM manages Spruce Reach Island, a 67-acre site situated between Highway 38 and the
Umpqua River across from the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. The previous landowner, O.H.
Hinsdale, planted hundreds of rhododendrons and azaleas in an English woodland garden style
and built a large house. The garden is a historical resource that is potentially eligible for
inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
About BLM
The BLM manages more land – 245 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National
System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1
billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.
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