October 28, 2009

Robert Abbey, Director
Bureau of Land Management
1849 C. Street, NW (Room 5665)
Washington D.C. 20240

 Dear Bob:

The Public Lands Foundation (PLF) recently sent you a letter expressing concern for the current situation regarding the withdrawal of the BLM's new Western Oregon Resource Management Plans. We remain very concerned, but would like to offer assistance to the Task Force that you and Secretary Salazar have created.

Judy Nelson and Van Manning, two of our members, retired from BLM in 2003 and 2000, respectively. Judy resides in Oregon and Van now lives in Washington, but continues to be involved in Oregon forest activities. Both were BLM District Managers in Western Oregon Districts.  Judy also served for many years in the Oregon State Office, supervising the Forestry Program. Van has spent the last nine years working with BLM and the O&C counties on forest management plan issues.  This work was done as a PLF member and as a planning consultant. During the last five years, he formally represented the counties at all cooperator meetings (Federal, State, and Tribal) throughout the Western Oregon Plans Revision process. Both have been associated with forest planning decisions since the early 1980s.

Judy and Van have briefed senior officials of BLM and the Department of the Interior many times during their careers. We would like to recommend that the Task Force view and listen to a presentation by Judy, assisted by Van, about the history of forest planning and associated decisions in Oregon for the past 20 years, as early in the process as possible. This briefing would be done in a positive manner, intended to inform the Task Force, not preach to it. We believe that the Task Force would benefit from their knowledge and experience and may possibly avoid some pitfalls they otherwise might pursue. 

While this initial presentation would focus on the history of forest planning in Western Oregon, Van could also focus a later presentation on the county politics of the O&C Counties, when appropriate.  Judy and Van also could be available in the future to answer questions as the Task Force conducts its work and develops recommendations. 

The briefing could be easily done in Oregon if the Task Force meets there. Given the technology BLM has, it might also be possible to conduct the briefing from the Oregon State Office and view it in the Washington, D.C. BLM conference room or other locations. In this way, perhaps other officials also could benefit from their presentation.

Bob, we know the difficult challenge that BLM faces in attempting to negotiate a resolution to this issue and finding a rational path forward. The PLF would like to help in any way we can. We urge you to accept this offer.

Judy can be reached at home at (503) 234-8903 or by cell phone at (206) 992-2945, and Van at (253) 549-0074, or we can provide their e-mail addresses.
 

Sincerely,

/s/ George Lea
President, Public Lands Foundation