Fertilization is planned for areas that undergo thinning. Detailed on-site soil analysis would be employed to determine composition of fertilizer needed, rate of application, and timing between applications. Average application is expected to be 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre at 10-year intervals. In addition to acceleration of growth for up to 7 years following fertilization, the treatment tends to reduce shock associated with thinning. Approximately 23, 185 acres would be fertilized during the proposal period. Fertilizer would not be applied within 100 feet of a perennial stream. 1.3.10 Commercial Thinning In order to maximize the production of forest products, stands ranging in age from 30 to 90 years would be commercially thinned under terms of timber sale contracts at 20-year intervals. At the first thinning, the crop trees would be 9 to 11 inches in diameter. In the process, suppressed, intermediate and some codominant trees would be sold and removed. Timing of thinning would be dictated by degree of crown closure and growth rate, with reduced growth rate being a primary indicator. Following one or more commercial thinnings, the final crop at age 90 would consist of 200 to 225 trees per acre. Over 15,000 acres would be scheduled for commercial thinning in the 10-year plan. See Section 1.3.2.2 for a discussion of design features of a timber sale contract. 1.4 MONITORING AND RESEARCH 1.4.1 Monitoring The Bureau of Land Management monitors land management practices primarily through administration of the contracts under which most actions are authorized. Timber sale contracts are visited at least once a week when active and more often if sensitive operations are in progress. Daily administration visits are not uncommon when harvest is moving at a fast pace, slash disposal is occurring, and road construction involving critical aspects such as stream crossing structures is taking place. Daily visits also occur when there is reason to believe that the operator will require help in the interpretation of contract requirements. Contracts for tree planting and precommercial thinning are monitored at regular intervals to determine the quality and quantity of work accomplished. Visits to these operations range from twice a week to the full-time presence of a Bureau contract administrator depending on the experience of the contractor and rate of progress. MONITORING AND RESEARCH Monitoring of herbicide application is as described in the final ES Vegetation Management with Herbicides: Western Oregon 1978 through 1987 (USDI, BLM 1978). Continuous administration of spraying contracts in progress is required. Water samples of adjacent streams are taken prior to spraying and at specified intervals thereafter. Evaluations of field operations are conducted periodically by higher level offices to assure that all aspects of policy and procedure are adhered to and an acceptable level of compliance is attained. 1.4.2 Research BLM is not a direct research agency and does not employ scientists whose primary duties are to conduct research. Research needs are identified by managers and resource specialists who recognize problems relating to resource management. Proposals for research are prepared and the work is contracted to agencies, institutions or companies equipped and prepared to do the problem resolution. Often a research organization is interested in the same or similar problem and the investigation is jointly funded. When practical, BLM research needs are integrated into existing U.S. Forest Service Experiment Station programs. A new and ambitious forest research program has recently been developed. Entitled Forestry Intensified Research (FIR), it is a cooperative effort of forest management agencies, forest research institutions and timber industry companies and associations in southwestern Oregon. The program prospectus was prepared by representatives of the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management, the Rogue River National Forest, the Medford District of the Oregon State Department of Forestry, the Oregon State Forest Research Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station and the forest industry. The objective of this Forestry Intensified Research (FIR) plan is Intensive Forestry for Southwest Oregon Research for the New Forest. This objective would be approached through a major, integrated, program in two phases planned over a 10-year period. Administrative responsibility for the program would be shared by Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station (PNW) and the Oregon State Forest Research Laboratory (FRL), with PNW the lead agency. The Phase I, entitled, "Adaptive Research and Information Transfer" has been established under the direct leadership of Oregon State University. second phase, "Fundamental Research," will be administered by PNW and integrated with the initial "Adaptive Research" phase. The research objective will be reached by pursuing the following primary target areas: (1) Local adaptive research, integrated with (2) and with regional research elsewhere. (2) (3) (4) Fundamental research on priority problems. Better information sharing between researcher-forester and field-forester. Local tests of new, integrative practices; practices de- This section discusses two kinds of relationships: those between the BLM timber management plan and other BLM plans and programs; and those between the BLM timber management plan and related plans and programs of other parties. The only BLM actions required to implement the proposal are a formal declaration of the allowable cut and an endorsement of the action by the Director of the Bureau. No other Federal, local or State agency must endorse the plan before implementation. However, in the process of plan development (see Section 1.2.5) several governmental agencies were consulted to determine compatibility with their respective plans and interests and to gain assistance in resolution of potential conflicts. 1.5.1 Planning Interactions The Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 requires the fullest cooperation and coordination among all levels of government. The law directs all Federal agencies to notify State and local governments of significant project or development plans. This is accomplished through the Oregon State Clearinghouse which distributes project or plan documents to involved State agencies. The Medford District has furnished the clearinghouse with copies of land use planning documents and annual timber sales plans. County planning and zoning programs within the SYUS are fully described in the Jackson-Klamath Planning Area Analysis. Each of the four counties. which contain a portion of the JKSYUs uses slightly different names for the proposed zone designation encompassing public lands administered by BLM. zone designations provide for timber production, grazing, and other uses, including recreation. Current county zoning in each case is compatible with existing and anticipated BLM land use programs. Oregon Senate Bill 100 requires that local governmental units establish mechanism for cooperating with Federal agencies in the development of comprehensive land use plans. Cities and counties must contact all State and Federal agencies within their jurisdiction for this purpose. All counties and INTERRELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PROGRAMS cities in Oregon are required further to develop and adopt comprehensive plans and land use controls consistent with statewide planning goals and guidelines. The regulating authority under SB 100 is the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC). The relationship of the proposed action to LCDC goals is displayed in Table 1-10. The LCDC has specified that a city or county may have only one comprehensive plan and that it must include the plans of all affected special districts, State, and Federal agencies. Although none of the counties have completed revision of their comprehensive plans or gained LCDC approval, BLM routinely reviews and comments on draft plans as they are made available. Although BLM has no authority to enter into binding commitments to be guided by comprehensive plans developed under State law, the mandate of the FLPMA practically assures BLM consistency with State and local comprehensive plans. 1.5.2 Interactions With Other Actions or Proposals 1.5.2.1 Other Agency Actions or Proposals In addition to BLM, other agencies have jurisdiction over lands within and adjacent to the JKSYUs. BLM cooperates with these agencies as far as possible to avoid conflicts and to insure wise use of natural resources. BLM interactions with these agencies and their current projects or proposals are described below. Timber Management Plans Most of southwest Oregon is timber producing land. In addition to the BLM, jurisdictions include the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, State of Oregon, the counties, and private individuals and companies. Each entity approaches management of timber lands differently although most periodically prepare internal or public plans for their management. Summary data of timber harvest and management treatments have been gathered for the Rogue River Basin of which the JKSYUs are a part. BLM administers approximately 30 percent of the Rogue River Basin. Over 369,000 acres lie within the JKSYUs and the balance is within the Josephine Sustained Yield Unit. Table 1-11 shows the estimated acreage of annual timber management treatments within the basin based on recent years' averages by jurisdiction. The state and private column includes only major private landowners as no data are available for small timberland ownerships. BLM administered land within the Klamath SYU constitutes less than 2 percent of the Klamath River Basin, therefore no comparable data was gathered in the Klamath Basin. LCDC GOALS Relationship of the Proposed Action to Statewide (LCDC) Goals DISCUSSION Citizen involvement occurred throughout the planning process, including public meetings in Medford, Klamath Falls, Butte Falls, Rogue River, Shady Cove, Keno and Ruch. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Bureau's planning system provide such a process and framework. The proposed action has resulted from this process. The proposed action would not affect the use of agricultural lands in the area. The proposed timber management plan is consistent with this goal. It The forest management practices proposed are inherently conservative of open space. The proposed underlying land use plan provides for preservation of natural and scenic resources considered significant. Some others considered of lesser significance would not be preserved. The proposed action and underlying land use plan provided for maintenance of the quality of these resources, through use exclusion from sensitive areas and special management practices elsewhere. Protection of hazard areas is provided for in the proposed action. The proposed underlying land use plan provides for some recreational needs. Given the potential of the lands, the proposed land use plan seeks to achieve a balance in the production of economic resources from them. These resources mainly are timber, recreation and anadromous fishery. The proposed timber management plan would result in markedly reduced levels of timber harvest with consequent adverse short-term impact on the economy. Since the reduced harvest level will be sustainable, it will contribute to long term economic stability. Although reducing the amount of wood harvested from the area, the proposed action does provide for a harvest sustainable over the long term. The proposed action would not affect public facilities and service. The forest transportation system would be maintained and improved. Conservation and efficient use of energy sources are objectives in all BLM activities. The establishment of urban growth boundaries would not be affected. |