Dear All,
Just got off the phone with a Board Member who sits on the O & C Board, who just got back from an O & C Mtg. in Salem (O&C Board is comprised of 18 counties and comprises 2.6 million acres).
Key Pts From Mtg.:
Presentation was given by Jody Caicco, USFWS Portland Office.
1. Draft EIS with comment period ending June 8th has been completed by USFWS to
remove the Barred Owl from protection in favor of the Spotted Owl.
2. Proposal includes killing Barn Owls which is not an endangered species in order to protect
the Spotted Owl.
3. There will be only 1 public meeting on the issue in Seattle. We need to find out when and get
a group or buses.
4. USFWS in collaboration with the BLM (see link above) is preparing to counter the turn-over of O & C lands to the Counties with a move that will increase critical habitat areas from 5.3 mil acres to 13.9 mil acres.
5. New Critical Habitat lands in Oregon will include 670,000 acres of State-owned land and 1.3 mil acres
of private lands.
6. Increase of Critical Habitat Lands will limit what Counties can do with land and limit Counties ability
to manage and log.
7. BLM conducted the North West Forest Plan which took 5 years and is in the process of beginning a new study on Logging (No-logging) BLM Lands. The work that won awards and recognition that the Coquille Tribe
received for responsible sustainable Logging was actually conducted by the BLM.
See: Attached "Federal Register of Intent" and how ties the O & C, Wagon Road and other local projects together. See highlighted text.
See: http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon/documents.php and attached documents.
NOTE: This move may be a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Other:
1.. O & C Executive Board representing Southern Part of Oregon is seriously considering a move to form a separate State and suceed from the State of Oregon which-in my opinion- has become the State of Portland.
Notes:
Take a look at the following link: http://wagonroad.org/ Coos Bay Wagonroad Coalition - Note that there is a 2008 Resolution of Support for the Coos County Commissioners and a December 2011 letter in support posted from Arnie Roblan.
Also Note RE The Coos County Alliance for Progress" campaign contributions: from the http://mgx.com/blogs/2012/04/23/coos-county-alliance-for-progress-picks-its-favorites/ blog "The committee has made contributions to Fred Messerle in the amount of $4,000, John Sweet for $1,500, Tim Bishop for $250, Melissa Cribbins for $750 and Mary Loiselle for $250.
All accepted the contributions with the exception of Mary Loiselle who had the good character, in my opinion, to return the check."
BLM Q & A
What is the purpose of the planning effort?
The new Resource Management Plans (RMPs) will define new goals, objectives, and management direction for the BLM-administered lands in the western Oregon. The RMPs will result in a different mix of resource protections and resource uses than currently exists. The new RMPs will determine how the BLM will manage BLM-administered lands in western Oregon to meet multiple objectives, including contributing to recovery of threatened and endangered species, to provide clean water, to restore fire
adapted ecosystems, to produce a sustainable output of timber products, and provide for recreation opportunities.
Why is the BLM doing this now? What's different from past efforts?
There are several factors that have
contributed to BLM's decision to initiate a RMP revision process, including the
ongoing litigation associated with the 2008 planning effort, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife's 2011 recovery plan for the northern spotted owl, the 2012 proposed
critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, and the underlying Federal Land
Policy and Management Act requirement for the ongoing maintenance and revision
of land use plans.
Recognizing the contentious nature of forest management in western Oregon, the BLM is interested in exploring new and innovative approaches that address the social, cultural and economic dimensions
of forest management.
Are the Secretarial pilot projects going to be part of the new planning effort?
The BLM has recently completed several Pilot Projects intended to fulfill the Secretary of the Interior's
direction to apply ecological principles developed by Drs. Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin, on BLM-administered lands within the Roseburg, Medford, and Coos Bay Districts. The pilots are now completed and information learned from these efforts will help to inform the RMP revision process.
What plan(s) is the BLM revising?
The six western Oregon BLM districts completed RMPs in 1995 that incorporated the land use allocations and Standards and Guidelines from the Northwest Forest Plan. In 2008, the BLM completed RMP revisions for the six western Oregon districts.
Ongoing litigation is seeking to set aside the 2008 Western Oregon RMPs (WOPR). The BLM intends to revise its RMPs notwithstanding the pending litigation. The BLM will continue to manage these
lands in accordance with the existing RMPs until the revised RMPs are completed
and a Record of Decision is signed.