Providing BLM with a scientific foundation for managing its lands in western Oregon

Western Oregon contains approximately 2.5 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) across six districts (Salem, Eugene, Coos Bay, Roseburg, Medford and Lakeview): approximately 2.1 million acres of this is managed under the requirements of the Oregon and California (O&C) Lands Act of 1937 and other laws with the remainder (406,600 acres) managed as “public domain” lands.  A lawsuit filed by the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and others against the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior alleged that the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) violated the terms of the O&C Act and numerous other laws.  In response, BLM is revising its Resource Management Plans to consider at least one alternative that will not create (i.e., eliminate) any reserves on O&C lands except as needed to avoid jeopardy to species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The purpose of this report is to provide BLM with a scientific foundation for managing its lands to meet the ecological objectives of the NWFP, ESA, and Clean Water. Using computer mapping analysis in a geographic information system ( GIS) and satellite imagery interpretation (2000 imagery), we documented the importance of BLM lands and reserves (Late-Successional Reserves (LSRs) and Riparian Reserves). In general, lands administered by the BLM in western Oregon make up a key portion of the public lands in this area and contain significant amounts of old-growth and mature-forest essential to the recovery of federally listed species and the health and integrity of the larger region. BLM LSRs contain a significant portion of this habitat (i.e., are the “backbone” to species recovery) and are integral in the conservation of hundreds of old-growth associated species and native salmonids. Below we described additional key findings of this report.

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