BLM policy in So Oregon

[The_Duck_Master]

This letter was published in the Ashland paper yesterday. I am not affiliated with the BLM in any way so please don't send your comments to me.

TDM

You and your BLM forest

Since 1946, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been tasked with managing the public lands in western Oregon on behalf of you, the public, guided by the laws passed by the United States Congress. Look in any direction and you can see these lands, as they surround the valleys here in southwest Oregon. Those of you living in the rural areas may have lands which border BLM.

So why is this important to you? Well, just about any action the BLM Medford District takes may have a direct or indirect effect on your lives in some way. BLM management of public lands effects how counties fund libraries, health services, public safety and road maintenance; how BLM supplies sustainable raw material for local wood products industries, how BLM protects and / or harvests mature trees; how BLM manages for threatened and endangered species; and how you recreate on public land, including off-road vehicle use.

The BLM is currently revising our Medford District Resource Management Plan which will guide our management for the next 10-15 years. These forest plan activities, to be spelled out in the Western Oregon Plan Revision, will have unprecedented effects for more citizens today than any other time in history. What happens with the revision process on BLM managed forests will determine what amount of dollars goes to fund county government and its programs across numerous counties in Oregon.

The Western Oregon Plan Revision is important because your current connection with your BLM forest lands may change.

We are hoping that you stay current on this extraordinary effort. Why?

If you value county services such as maintaining libraries and roads and you believe that a portion of timber receipts should be paying for these services, then you should be involved in this revision.

If you value forest lands and wildlife and recreation, you should be involved.

If you believe in a sustained yield of timber to provide raw material for wood products, then you should be involved.

If you believe that old growth is an important feature on your BLM lands, then you should be involved.

If you value healthy forests and watersheds, then you should be involved.

If you are concerned about forest fires and fuel buildup, then you should be involved.

So when and how should you get involved? A Draft Resource Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement will be available in early summer 2007. Decisions on these plans are not made by popular vote. They are however influenced by thoughtful and/or substantive comments pertaining to information about the issues or input to probable solutions or methods for resolving these important issues for southern Oregon.

To get involved, go to the BLM's web site at http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/wopr or contact the Medford District BLM office or the BLM at the Grants Pass Interagency office.

Tim Reuwsaat
BLM's District Manager
Medford