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50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 17, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 16, 2005 Kulongoski urges Siskiyou protections in BLM proposal A natural resource policy director cites concerns about grazing and management of older forests and forest health By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to include more protection and restoration goals in its final Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument management plan. In a long letter dated April 13 to BLM state director Elaine Marquis-Brong, Michael Carrier, the governor’s natural resource policy director, said the governor supports the plan’s approach but believes more is needed to meet goals outlined in the monument’s creation. "We are very pleased with the management goals of the proposed plan," Carrier wrote. "Yet, we have specific concerns about management of older forests and forest health, the extensive nature of the road system and commercial livestock grazing." The 52,940-acre monument is in the BLM’s Medford District in the mountainous region immediately east of Ashland where the Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou ranges converge. When it came to the contentious grazing issue, the letter notes the 2001 proclamation that created the monument clearly states protection of biological diversity is the primary purpose for its creation. Advertisement Moreover, the proclamation further states that grazing should be stopped if it is shown to be incompatible with monument goals and that a grazing study is needed, the letter added. "The (final plan) moves too aggressively toward preservation of grazing without the benefit of the final results of the livestock grazing impacts study and a likely buyout of the grazing leases," according to the letter. The latter refers to an announcement late last year by local ranchers with grazing allotments in the monument that they support a federal buyout of existing grazing leases. A buyout for a fair price has been supported by the Jackson County Stockmen’s Association, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. "We recommend that you not move ahead with the ‘decision tree’ for grazing management until those two issues are resolved," the letter stated, On other issues: The governor urged caution in undertaking restoration projects that harvest commercial-size trees, particularly those 20 inches in diameter or larger. The governor supported the plan’s strategy to protect older habitat while reducing fire risk and accelerating development of additional older forest. "Although we are refraining from recommending diameter limits on trees cut in ecological restoration projects, in deference to the discretion of professional resource managers, we want to emphasize that the plan and the monument proclamation include clear language allowing the harvest of commercial timber only as a by-product of scientifically based ecological restoration projects," the letter stressed. The governor concluded that closing 53 miles of road now with a possible 21 miles in the future as proposed by the plan is insufficient. "The plan should more aggressively reduce road density and consider the long-term costs of closures versus obliteration or active decommissioning," the letter said. "A more thorough assessment of which roads are needed for monument purposes, fire protection, and existing rights should be prepared with a removal schedule." The governor supports the continued 6,000-acre Soda Mountain Wilderness Study Area within the monument. However, the letter noted the governor has asked BLM to manage 32,000 acres for wilderness in the area so the larger area would not be precluded from future wilderness designation by Congress. Although the 30-day comment period ended a month ago for the public, which sent in thousands of comments, the governor’s office had 60 days to comment. "Comments from the governor’s office are very important to us — we will pay particular close attention to them," said Karen Gillespie, spokeswoman for the BLM’s Medford District. Noting the agency wants to work closely with the state, Gillespie said BLM will review the governor’s comments with a "fine-toothed comb." The final decision on the management plan will be made by Medford District director Tim Reuwsaat, expected in September. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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