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Western Oregon Plan Revisions, Alternatives, BLM
Alternatives in the Western Oregon Plan Revision Process
The draft "Planning Criteria and State Director Guidance" lays out four strategies upon which BLM based five possible alternatives.
"No Action" alternative would maintain existing allocations (e.g., riparian, late-successional reserve, matrix, etc.) with relatively minor changes in management direction.
"Revised Northwest Forest Plan" alternative would maintain existing allocations, except for riparian reserves; examine an alternative aquatic strategy; and revise standards and guidelines for other allocations. It has a particular focus on changing riparian reserve management. It would remove terrestrial objectives from and emphasize density management in riparian reserves, specifically allowing for density management (thinning) of stands in reserves over 80 years of age. It also would reexamine the need for connectivity/diversity blocks, key watersheds, and adaptive management areas.
"Traditional Static Reserve" alternative would establish land allocations only as needed to meet legal requirements and be based on maintaining sufficient suitable habitat within critical habitat for listed species. It would establish reserves to avoid jeopardy and meet Clean Water Act obligations, and would prescribe intensive forest management to produce high timber yields in all lands not removed from the harvest land base.
"Extended Rotation" alternative would manage the entire land base for timber production under a long rotation (such as 300 years).
"Situational Management/Constant Change" alternative would vary management direction by watershed or watershed aggregation based on percentage of BLM ownership, importance of streams, presence of critical habitat, etc. It would incorporate structural-based management that could cause catastrophic disturbance in the checkerboard of BLM lands and focus management in the wildland-urban interface.
