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United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
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Eugene District Office
P.O. Box 10226
Eugene. Oregon 97440- 2226
1610WEW (ORE050)
JUN - 9 LOri
Dear Interested Party:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eugene District is seeking public input as it begins a developing a
Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the BLM-administered lands in the West Eugene Wetlands. The new
RMP will provide overall management direction for the approximately 1,340 acres of BLM-administered
public lands in the West Eugene Wetlands. The BLM-administered lands in the West Eugene Wetlands have
been acquired by BLM over the past several decades and do not have an existing RMP. An Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) will be developed during the planning process.
The BLM is asking the public to help identify issues to be addressed in the RMP through the comment, or
'scoping' process, as well as otTer potential solutions. The BLM will use the information it receives during
scoping as it prepares the Draft RMP and an associated Draft EIS. The BLM is also seeking ideas about the
uses of public lands, possible protection measures, and recommendations on special designations such as areas
of critical environmental concern during this initial scoping period. The public comment will help guide the
planning process.
Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identitied by the BLM personnel; Federal, state, and local
agencies; and other stakeholders. The issues include: threatened and endangered species management;
ecosystem restoration; control of noxious weeds and invasive plants; recreation; tribal use including plant
collection; evaluation of potential new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and reevaluation of
the existing Long Tom ACEC; land tenure adjustments; and the costs of management.
Preliminary planning criteria include:
I. Lands addressed in the RMP will be public lands (including split estate lands) managed by the BLM.
There will be no decisions in the RMP for lands not managed by the BLM;
2. The BLM will protect resources in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976,
as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), and other applicable laws and regulations;
3. The BLM will use a collaborative and multi-jurisdictional approach, when practical, to determine the
desired future condition of public lands;
4. The BLM will strive to make land use plan decisions compatible with existing plans and policies of
adjacent local, State, Federal, and tribal agencies, and consistent with other applicable laws and regulations
governing the administration of public land;
5. Areas potentially suitable for ACECs and other special management designations will be identified and
brought forward for analysis in the RMP. The existing Long Tom ACEC will be reevaluated to determine
if it should continue to be designated as an ACEC. Public nominations for areas potentially suitable for
ACECs and other special management designations and public input on the reevaluation of the existing
Long Tom ACEC will be requested;
6. Decisions of the RMP will be consistent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plan for the
Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington.
Scoping comments can be submitted by mail to: Richard Hardt, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, to
the address listed above in the heading of this document; by electronic mail (email) to
[email protected]; by facsimile to (541) 683-6981; or in person at the Eugene District BLM office
located at 3106 Pierce Parkway, Springfield, OR, 97477, Suite E.
Comments should be received by July 8, 2011, for consideration in the development of this RMP. All
information in your comments including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal
identifying information (PII) is maintained as a BLM record. Although your information is sensitive and
protected from public access, it may be made available under a Freedom of Information Act request. You may
request in your comment that your PII information be withheld from public review although the agency is
unable to guarantee full protection of such information. Please consider all information you may want to
include in your comments.
Please let us know if you would like a personal meeting or presentation about this planning effort. Future
information about this planning effort will be available on our Eugene District planning website at
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/eugene/index.php. Please provide your electronic mailing address if you would
like to receive notification of posted information. This information will also be available other media types
such as hard copy and on a CD. To receive information in alternate formats please provide your physical
mailing address.
If you have additional questions or comments please send an e-mail to [email protected]; or contact
Richard Hardt at (541) 683-6690.
Sincerely,
Virginia Gri
District Manager
Eugene District Office