Letter to BLM Director Abbey regarding BLM's Western Oregon Plan
Revision
October 14, 2009
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October 14,
2009 RE: BLM’S WESTERN OREGON PLAN REVISION Dear Director Abbey: As you know we expressed our concern with the decision to withdraw the BLM’s Western Oregon Plan Revision records of decision in a letter to the Secretary in July. We discussed this with Mike Pool when he was at our annual meeting. We have not yet received a reply to our letter, and hope that is because you and the Department are looking for a better way to go. We realize the Department is getting a fair amount of negative comments on this including the initiation of litigation. We don’t want to pile on. We do want to encourage, and, if possible, help in the timely implementation of an approach that will do four things: 1. Maintain the integrity of the BLM planning process under FLPMA. 2. Confirm and implement an excellent set of collaboratively based planning decisions that meet the objectives and intent of federal law including FLPMA, the O&C Act, NEPA, the ESA, and the Clean Water Act. 3. Protect the quality of the environment, maintain a sustainable supply of timber, provide jobs as we are working our way out of a recession, and support local governments. 4. Respect and endorse the five years of hard work undertaken by Federal employees from the BLM, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as from Oregon State and local governments and the affected local citizens. Perhaps formally consulting on the plans is a clearer remedy than withdrawing the plans. BLM made significant changes between the draft and final plan to meet ESA concerns, and completed biological assessments during the planning process based on informal consultation. One possible alternative to get the benefits of these plans in place as quickly as possible would be for BLM to submit biological assessments developed for the plans to the F&WS and NMFS for a biological opinion right away. You understand the importance of this issue to us. Please keep us informed of progress. We would like to be supportive of efforts to get sound, professional management back on the job in the woods. Sincerely, /s/ George Lea George Lea, President |