AUTHORITY AND GENERAL POLICY Withdrawal was completed by Public Land Order 5490 (40 FR 7450 [1975]). In addition, many activities of the BLM are governed by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 2743, 43 U.S.C. 1701). This law, often referred referred to as BLM's "Organic Act" or as the FLPMA, established policy for BLM administration of public lands under its jurisdiction. Four provisions of the Act have particular application to this proposal: Broad management authority under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield. -- Periodic and systematic inventory of the public lands and the resources they contain. --Protection of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmosphere, water resource and archeological values. However, in accordance with Section 701 (b) of the FLPMA (43 U.S.c. 1701 (b)) any such provisions do not apply to the 0&C lands if they conflict or are inconsistent with the timber management or revenue disposal provisions of the O&C Act of 1937. The rate of timber harvest in the JKSYUs is determined under the policy of a decadal allowable cut at a sustained yield level without any planned reduction. Allowable cut planning is undertaken periodically to determine the sustainable level of harvest from lands used for timber production. Normally, this planning takes place every 10 years, but it may occur more often in the event of significant changes in land use, forest condition or technology. All technically feasible, economically justified and environmentally acceptable intensive forest management practices that are foreseeable in a 20-year planning horizon are used in computing the sustained yield level. Computations recognize intermediate harvests, e.g., thinnings, as an element of the allowable cut. The present and future effect of the adopted practices upon forest productivity is immediately reflected in the determination of annual harvest. This factor, often referred to as allowable cut effect (ACE), allows for immediate recognition of future growth levels which will occur in a managed forest. BLM has adopted the policy guidelines for timber management contained in the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands report of 1972 entitled "Clearcutting on Federal Timberlands." The guidelines cover three issue areas. The summary from the Senate report is as follows: AUTHORITY AND GENERAL POLICY Allowable Harvest Levels 11 Allowable harvest on Federal forest lands should be reviewed and adjusted periodically to assure that the lands on which they are based are available and suitable for timber production under these guidelines. Increases in allowable harvests based on intensified management practices such reforestation, thinning, tree improvement and the like should be made only upon demonstration that such such practices justify increased allowable harvests and there is assurance that such practices are satisfactorily funded for continuation to completion. If planned intensive measures are inadequately funded and thus cannot be accomplished on schedule, allowable harvests should be reduced accordingly. Harvesting Limitations Clearcutting should not be used where: - Soil, slope or other watershed conditions are fragile and subject to major injury. There is no assurance that the area can be adequately restocked within five years after harvest. Esthetic values outweigh other considerations. --The method is preferred only because it will give the greatest dollar return or the greatest unit output. Clearcutting should be used only where: It is determined to be silviculturally essential to accomplish the relevant forest management objectives. - The size of clearcut blocks, patches or strips are kept at the minimum necessary to accomplish silvicultural and other multiple-use forest management objectives. -- A multidisciplinary review has first been made of the potential environmental, biological, esthetic, engineering and economic impacts on each sale area. Clearcut blocks, patches or strips are, in all cases, shaped and blended as much as possible with the natural terrain. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSAL Timber Sale Contracts Federal timber sale contracts should contain requirements to assure that all possible measures are taken to minimize or avoid adverse environmental impacts of timber harvesting even if such measures result in lower net returns to the Treasury. Vegetation management may be accomplished by mechanical, biological and manual methods; controlled burning or application of herbicides. Herbicides, when employed, are selected to meet a specific problem and used at manufacturer's recommended strength for the specific target species involved at necessary intervals. Alternatives to the use of herbicides are used when judged to be feasible. No chemical is used when there is a basis for belief that water quality will be degraded or that hazards exist which will unnecessarily threaten humans, fish, wildlife, their food chains or other components of the natural environment. Proposed annual herbicide projects are submitted through Bureau and Departmental review process each year prior to approval of any project. For further discussion of BLM policy in Oregon regarding the use of herbicides refer to BLM's Final Environmental Statement (FES), Vegetation Management with Herbicides: Western Oregon - 1978 through 1987. The Jackson and Klamath SYUS constitute the eastern half of BLM's Medford District. The SYUs encompass an area of approximately 1,400,000 acres, of which 488,258 acres are administered by BLM (Table 1-2). Portions of four counties are contained within the SYUS. The west boundary of the area is conterminous with BLM's Josephine Sustained Yield Unit. The north boundary abuts portions of the Umpqua and Rogue River National Forests. The Rogue River and Winema National Forests share a common boundary with portions of the JKSYUS along the east side. The area is bounded on the south by the OregonCalifornia border and portions of the Klamath and Rogue River National Forests (Figure 1-1, folded map in the back cover pocket). The determination of which lands within the JKSYUs would be available for timber production and therefore included in the proposal is based on inventories and land use allocations consistant with BLM procedures. Figure 1-2 shows the relationship between the Bureau's land use planning and allowable harvest planning processes. 1.2.1 Timber Production Capability Classification The Timber Production Capability Classification (TPCC) is an intensive inventory process initiated in 1972 to partition all public land administered by BLM in western Oregon into categories based upon the land's physical |