1996ANNUAL PROGRAM SUMMARYfor theBureau of Land ManagmentCoos Bay District1300 Airport Lane (September 1997) A Message from the District Manager This is the first Annual Program Summary prepared by the Coos Bay District. In it we have reported the progress that the district has made in implementing the decisions and commitments in the Coos Bay District Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan. For many of the programs we have included accomplishments for both Fiscal Years 1995 and 1996. I am proud of the district accomplishments, and want to acknowledge my appreciation for all the efforts by district personnel to implement the Resource Management Plan in a professional manner. They have shown that we can implement the Resource Management Plan in accordance with the Standards & Guidelines contained in the Northwest Forest Plan. They have applied the principle of adaptive management numerous times, and have identified other areas where we can apply that principle to improve management of our natural resources. Congratulations on a job well done! The accomplishments reported are especially encouraging in light of the extenuating circumstances that occurred throughout Fiscal year 1996. The district began operations under a newly reorganized structure where we reduced the district from three Resource Areas to two. Many of the work teams were newly formed, with shifts in responsibilities and duties. We then encountered nearly four weeks of furloughs resulting from the budget difficulties during December and early January. Later the unanticipated fire season in the summer of 1996 impacted operations on the district when up to 50 people were assigned to fires off the district at one time. Altogether 71 people were off district for a total of 1,725 days. Several projects were delayed, and it took some time to return to normal operations. Accomplishments for the year included:
I also want to express my appreciation for the public participation in the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan. Representatives of many types of groups have been involved in various aspects of implementation, including environmental organizations, industry groups, special interest groups, county commissioners and state organizations, business interests, and individual citizens. Many have been involved in the Province Advisory Councils (PACs), Community Economic Revitalization Teams (CERTs), and Watershed Councils. A special thanks to all those who participate in locally controlled Watershed Councils, where we look forward to a joint effort to improve overall watershed condition. All those mentioned above volunteered their valuable time to advise federal managers on their concerns and provided different perspectives on issues dealing with forest plan implementation. We hope that you find the information contained in this report to be informative, and welcome suggestions for improvement. /s/ Lillie Hikida District Manager Table of ContentsProgress of Resource Management Plan Implementation
Resource Management Plan Maintenance 26 List of Tables
This Annual Program Summary (APS) is a requirement of the Coos Bay District Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan. It is a progress report on the various programs and activities that have occurred on the district during Fiscal Year (FY) 1996, and provides an indication of some upcoming activities for FY 1997. It also summarizes the results of the district implementation monitoring accomplishments in accord with Appendix L of the Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan and the District Monitoring Plan. In April 1994 the Record of Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl and the was signed by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior. (In this document this plan will be referred to as the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP)). The Coos Bay District Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (RMP/ROD) was approved in May 1995, and adopted and incorporated the Standards and Guidelines from the NFP in the form of Management Actions/Direction. Both the NFP and RMP/ROD embrace the concepts of ecosystem management at a much broader perspective than had been traditional in the past. Land Use Allocations were established in the NFP covering all federal lands within the range of the spotted owl. Analysis such as Watershed Analysis and Late Successional Reserve Assessments are conducted at a broader scale and involve land owners in addition to BLM. Requirements to conduct standardized surveys or inventories for special status species have been, or will be, developed for implementation at the regional scale. The district has been involved with the Provincial Advisory Councils involving federal agencies, local governmental bodies, Native American tribes, and interest groups, as well as Watershed Councils which have been formed to address concerns at the local watershed level. These councils have addressed issues spanning all resources and all ownerships within a localized geographic area. Implementation of the NFP and RMP require analysis not included in previous plans, including Watershed Analysis and Late-Successional Reserve Assessments. These analysis look at resource values at the large landscape level, from an ecosystem perspective. The following is a brief description of each. Progress of Resource Management Plan Implementation Watershed Analysis is required by the NFP ROD. The primary purpose is to provide decision makers with information about the natural resources and human uses in an area. This information will be utilized in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for specific projects and to facilitate compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) by providing additional information for consultation with other agencies. Watershed Analysis included: - Analysis of at-risk fish species and stocks, their presence, habitat conditions and restoration needs; - Descriptions of the landscape over time, including the impacts of humans, their role in shaping the landscape, and the effects of fire; - The distribution and abundance of species and populations throughout the watershed; - Characterization of the geologic and hydrologic conditions. The information utilized by interdisciplinary teams (IDT) in preparing the Watershed Analysis was obtained from a variety of sources, including field inventory and observation, history books, agency records, and old maps and survey records. Several Watershed Analysis completed since implementation of the NFP evaluated existing recreation sites for compliance with Aquatic Conservation Strategy (ACS) objectives. All complied with the ACS objectives and no mitigation measures were needed. The district prepared two Watershed Analysis in FY 94, five in FY 95, and seven in FY 96. The 14 Watershed Analysis completed through FY 96 cover approximately 68 percent of the BLM district lands. We anticipate completion of three additional Watershed Analysis in FY 97. Table 1 displays the progress that the district has made in completion of Watershed Analysis. As shown in the table, a more detailed analysis has been prepared for two subwatersheds to accommodate additional site specific project planning. The district is also participating in the joint preparation of the Sixes River Watershed Analysis with the Powers Ranger District. Many of the remaining watersheds within the district contain only scattered BLM lands. Watershed Analysis will continue until all lands within the district has been analyzed. Watershed Restoration and Jobs-in-the-Woods Watershed Analysis assisted in the identification of a number of watershed restoration projects including projects that were funded under the "Jobs-in-the-Woods" initiative which is a component of the NFP. Jobs-in-the-Woods funding is part of a regional collaborative effort to improve the health of the land and restore watersheds while at the same time providing economic assistance to local communities. As part of this initiative, the district has awarded about 3.7 million dollars for projects in FY 94 and 95. The types of projects completed included: - Stream habitat improvement (installing boulder weirs, logs, rootwads in streams; or placing 1,610 tons of spawning gravel in streams; and constructing off-channel ponds).
1 Sandy Creek is within the Middle Fork Coquille watershed, this analysis is a more site specific analysis of the watershed than was included in the Middle Fork Coquille analysis 2 Total includes Sandy Creek, which is within the Middle Fork Coquille watershed 3 Sandy Remote is within the Middle Fork Coquille watershed, this analysis is a more site specific analysis of the watershed than was included in the Middle Fork Coquille analysis 4 Totals includes Sandy Remote, which is within the Middle Fork Coquille watershed 5 Totals exclude Sandy Creek and Sandy Remote analysis acres - Fish passage structures (replacing major culverts with fish-passage structures). - Road system erosion prevention (replacing old and rusted road culverts with new culverts; paving or placing rock surfacing on some roads; and closing some roads). - Riparian improvements (removing some undesirable species and planting desirable coniferous species). - Snowy plover habitat improvement (removing of European beachgrass on 30 acres). - New River of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) facilities improvements (removing some old structures, and building new structures). In FY 96 the district continued this program and awarded contracts totaling approximately 1.3 million dollars. The types of projects completed this fiscal year include: - Sedimentation Control: Replacement of grade culverts, and repairing or replacing road surfaces. - Slide Stabilization: Two major slides in the Baker Creek area were stabilized using geotextile engineering fabric and a three foot blanket of rip rap. - New River ACEC: Road improvements, well drilling, and construction of an administrative building. - Stream Enhancement: Placement of large woody structure (trees with roots attached) or boulder wiers in streams to create or improve fish habitat. - Fish Passage Structures: Installed large culverts to permit fish access to upstream habitat. On the south coast, more than 10 local watershed associations have been formed to restore health of coastal watersheds and provide jobs to local citizens and displaced timber workers. The associations operate on willing private landowners properties, with BLM providing technical assistance, as well as funding through Jobs-in-the-Woods program, or in coordination with other government programs or private foundations. Late-Successional Reserve Assessments The NFP also requires the completion of Late-Successional Reserve (LSR) Assessments. All habitat manipulation activities in LSRs during FY 96 were covered by initial LSR assessments completed in accordance with the RMP and NFP. Progress toward completing final LSR Assessments was slow due to a higher emphasis on Watershed Analysis. One LSR Assessment, titled, Late Successional Reserve Assessment, Oregon Coast Province - Southern Portion was prepared jointly by the Siuslaw National Forest and the Salem, Eugene, Roseburg, and Coos Bay BLM Districts. The assessment covered two designated LSRs (267 and 268) totaling 546,252 acres of federal land in the south half of the Oregon Coast Range Province. The assessment area ranges from the Umpqua River drainage in the south to the Yaquina River drainage in the north, and between the Pacific Ocean and the Willamette Valley. A similar effort will occur for the southern Oregon Coast and northern Klamath Provinces in FY 97. This LSR Assessment will be prepared jointly by the Coos Bay, Roseburg, and Medford BLM districts, and the Mapleton Ranger district of the Siuslaw National Forest. This Assessment will include 10 individual LSRs involving approximately 258,000 acres of federal lands in southwestern Oregon between the California border and the Umpqua river and extend east to the Interstate 5 corridor. On completion, this assessment will essentially complete Assessments for all LSRs in southwest Oregon. As specified in the ROD, LSR Assessments include eight components: 1. A history and inventory of overall vegetative conditions; 2. A list of identified late-successional associated species known to exist within the LSR; A history and description of current land uses in the LSR; 4. A fire management plan; Criteria for developing appropriate treatments; 6. Identification of specific areas that could be treated under these criteria; A proposed implementation schedule tiered to higher order plans, and; 8. Proposed monitoring and evaluation components to help evaluate if future activities are carried out as intended and achieve intended results. The NFP and RMP require that BLM and the USFS provide for the retention of late- successional/old-growth fragments in the Matrix where little remains. The standards and guidelines are to be applied to any fifth field watershed in which federal forest lands are currently comprised of 15 percent or less late-successional forest, considering all land allocations. Agency guidance dictates that late-successional forests in reserves within each fifth field watershed be identified first, before looking at the Matrix. All Coos Bay district FY 95 and 96 timber sales sold under the NFP have complied with the 15 percent rule per the initial analysis. The district completed an initial screening of 27 watersheds within the district. When existing reserves are considered, the screen indicated that 23 of the 27 fifth field watersheds exceeded the 15 percent threshold. The watersheds with low percentages of late-successional forest occur where BLM has only minor ownership. Continuation and refinement of the 15 percent analysis, as well as mapping of individual stands, is on hold pending resolution of various issues by the Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) and Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC). Projects will be implemented using the existing initial analysis pending that resolution by REO/RIEC. In the remainder of the APS we have reported progress in implementing the RMP by program area, however, many of the program areas involve more than one resource. The RMP recognized that implementation of the full Probable Sale Quantity (PSQ) would be gradual due to the complexities and expected difficulties getting sales prepared under the NFP Standards and Guidelines and the RMP Management Actions and Direction. As shown in Table 2, the target volumes for FY 95 and 96 have been below the full PSQ of 32 million board feet (MMBF).
1 Target Volume refers to the volume to be offered for sale as directed by the Annual Work Plan 2 Sold Volume refers to the total volume sold during the FY regardless of Land Use Allocation With the approval of the RMP, the district advertised and sold 10 timber sales totaling approximately 25.2 MMBF during fiscal year 1995 (Table 3). Approximately 1.1 MMBF of timber was sold as miscellaneous volume (small negotiated sales, contract modifications, etc.). Although the volume offered and sold is less than the declared PSQ for the Coos Bay District, it represents a substantial increase from 1994 when approximately 1.8 MMBF was sold. FY 95 timber sales were located primarily within the Matrix Land Use Allocation (LUA) as described in the RMP. Commercial thinning sales included a minor amount of density management harvest within the Riparian Reserves where the reserves occurred within the thinning harvest units. The goals of the Matrix LUA are to provide a sustainable supply of timber and other forest commodities, as well as to provide habitat for a variety of organisms. These sales have been prepared to conform to the standards and guidelines described in the RMP/ROD, including the retention of six wildlife trees per acre, retention of down coarse woody debris, and identification of Riparian Reserves of variable widths based on the stream characteristics within each sale area.
1 RR is Riparian Reserve 2 FH is Final Harvest, CT is Commercial Thinning, DM is Density Management Of the 10 advertised sales, 5 were commercial thinnings (18.2 MMBF), and 5 were final harvest sales (6.9 MMBF). The total value received from the advertised sales was $9,236,437. The district advertised and sold 14 timber sales totaling approximately 26.8 MMBF and received $10,070,500 in value during FY 96 (Table 4). One sale involving approximately 0.4 MMBF did not receive any bids, and will be advertised again during FY 97. Approximately 2.2 MMBF of timber was sold as miscellaneous volume (small negotiated sales, contract modifications, etc.). These sales have been prepared to conform to the Management Actions and Directions described in the RMP/ROD. Six sales included final harvest or commercial thinning operations in the Matrix LUA, and three sales included density management operations in the Riparian or Late-Successional Reserve LUAs. (The difference between a commercial thinning and density management is the objective for the operation. Commercial thinning objectives include increasing the growth rates of remaining trees for future commodity production purposes. The objectives of a density management operation include changing the growth characteristics or forest stand condition for non-commodity purposes.)
1 RR is Riparian Reserve, LSR is Late-Successional Reserve 2 FH is Final Harvest, CT is Commercial Thinning, DM is Density Management In addition to the new timber sales mentioned above, the district has awarded six sales and portions of three more sales as required by the 1995 Rescissions Act. These sales were first offered for sale between 1989 and 1991, however, they were not awarded due to subsequent litigation. The district has, or is in the process of preparing "replacement volume" for two additional sales and three partial sale as required by the Rescissions Act. Replacement volume was required for sales or units where either spotted owl nesting or marbled murrelet occupancy had been detected. Replacement volume for these sales has been prepared to conform to the Management Actions and Directions described in the RMP/ROD, and involves approximately 7.1 MMBF. These sales are not included in the totals shown in Tables 3 and 4. A plan evaluation on the Rescissions Act sales is being prepared and will be issued separately from this APS. The district is planning on offering the full PSQ of 32 MMBF in FY 97 as well as completing work on the remaining "replacement volume" as required by the Rescissions Act. In preparing the RMP, volume and acres to be harvested by LUA were estimated to determine the PSQ. Table 5 displays how the estimated acres of Matrix were allocated between the General Forest Management Area (GFMA) and Connectivity/Diversity Blocks (C/DB) and the anticipated volume to be harvested from each allocation. Tables 6 and 7 show the acres and volume harvested from the Matrix in FY 95 and 96. Only coniferous volume harvested from the Matrix is included in the PSQ.
1 Acres and volumes shown in Table 5 differ slightly from those shown in Table 8 due to data rounding
1 Does not include miscellaneous volume harvested
1 Does not include miscellaneous volume harvested The district will be monitoring both the type of harvest and acres harvested over the next few years to determine if the modeling assumptions used in calculating the PSQ are being implemented. If the rates of harvest are significantly different form the modeling assumptions, a mid course correction may be required. Table 8 displays the anticipated acres and volume to be harvested from the Matrix LUA, either by final harvest and/or commercial thinning, as well as the accomplishments for FY 95 and 96. Management of the C/DB area was based on an area control method, which did not break the harvested areas into age classes. Only conifer volume harvested from the Matrix counts toward the PSQ volume commitment. It was recognized that density management treatments within the Riparian Reserves (RR) or Late-Successional Reserves (LSR) would occur to provide habitat conditions for late-successional species, or develop desired structural components meeting the Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. It was estimated that approximately 5 MMBF could be harvested from these LUAs annually. Volume harvested from the RR or LSR LUAs does not contribute to the PSQ. It should be noted that in both FY 95 and 96, road construction occurred in areas of 30 to 50 age classes. Harvest associated with the road construction is shown as a final harvest. 36 acres of stand conversion occurred in the 40-49 age class in FY 96, and is also shown as a final harvest. Two small salvage sales occurred in LSRs, each involving trees blown down across roads. These sales are shown as selective cuts in the table.
1 Only coniferous volume from the Matrix contributes to the PSQ. 2 ROD commitment is for the Matrix only; Matrix includes both the General Forest Management Area (GFMA) and Connectivity/Diversity Blocks (C/DB) 3 No ROD commitment for the Riparian Reserves (RR) or Late-Successional Reserves (LSR) - Opportunity to treat areas where treatments meet the Objectives for these LUAs. 4 Does not include miscellaneous volume harvested. Implementation of silvicultural practices anticipated in calculation of the PSQ levels
will be increasing as timber harvest reaches RMP projected levels. Currently, they are
lower than projected due to lag time in putting timber sales up under the new RMP and
completing harvesting on those units. Projected levels may not be achieved until 1998 or
later.
208 acres received site preparation by prescribed burning in FY 95. All burning was done in compliance with the Oregon Smoke Management Plan, and no intrusions of smoke into designated areas resulted from any of the BLM burning. This was due to a combination of experienced personnel, well written burn prescriptions, good mixing and dispersal conditions on days of the burns, and rapid mop up to reduce residual smoke. Several practices have been employed to protect Riparian Reserves and meet ACS objectives. Various combinations of fire trail construction, fuel reductions, and alternate treatments such as brush slashing, hand or machine piling, provided more options to the fuels specialists in writing prescriptions to protect Riparian Reserves. A variety of ignition techniques and burning sequences allowed controlled ignition and appropriate protection of the Riparian Reserves. No prescribed burning occurred in FY 96. There were no escaped fires during FY 95 or 96 which would have required an Escaped Fire Situation Analysis. In addition to the advertised timber sales mentioned above, the district sold a variety of Special Forest Products as shown in Table 10. The ROD does not have any commitments for the sale of Special Forest Products. The sale of Special Forest Products follow the guidelines contained in the Oregon/Washington Special Forest Products Procedure Handbook. The district continued to identify and eliminate impacts which threaten the existence and distribution of native fish stocks on federal lands. As was mentioned earlier, many of the Jobs-in-the-Woods projects completed in FYs 94, 95, and 96 involved the replacement of large culverts that have been designed to provide for fish and amphibian passage. Additionally, three projects were designed to pull trees over into streams to provide large woody structure and create fish habitat, and several Riparian Silviculture Projects were designed to improve riparian conditions by removing brush and planting tree species to benefit both water quality and fish habitat in the long-term. Other projects involved placing rock or rootwads into creeks to create riffles, scour pools, and/or gravel bars for spawning habitat. Additional projects have been identified through the Watershed Analysis and LSR Assessment process. The district will continue to implement similar projects in FY 97. In addition to the fish projects, the district has also coordinated with the Forest Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on numerous occasions. Beginning in FY 96 all ongoing and proposed activities within the range of the Umpqua cutthroat trout and anadromous fish which are proposed for federal listing are conferenced with NMFS.
An integral part of the Watershed Analysis and Late-Successional Reserve Assessment process mentioned earlier in this report assess wildlife species habitat needs, and recommended habitat manipulation projects benefitting a variety of species. Two FY 96 timber sales (North Fork Soup Creek Density Management and Fire Road Thinning, Density Management) noted earlier in this report occurred within LSRs and were designed specifically to enhance late-successional forest characteristics for wildlife habitat. The final harvest timber sale units shown in Tables 3 and 4 retained at least 6 to 8 wildlife trees per acre, as well as down coarse woody debris to provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Additionally, several timber sales and Jobs-in-the Woods projects required that green trees be "topped" to create future snag habitat. The Jobs-in-the Woods program also decommissioned several roads in the Baker Creek, Mill Creek, and Lutzinger Road areas benefitting wildlife species. The district will continue to implement similar projects in FY 97. Management actions at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing area continued to enhance habitat for both elk and waterfowl species. Threatened and Endangered Species and Section 7 Consultation In FY 96, interagency teams developed and implemented a Section 7 consultation streamlining effort. Level 1 teams, consisting of local employees from BLM, USFS, NMFS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), regularly met to assure consultation was accomplished efficiently and speedily. Two efforts were made to develop programmatic consultation packages to avoid numerous redundant efforts for normal, repetitive situations. Analysis of habitat conditions for northern spotted owls and marbled murrelets were conducted as part of formal consultation with the USFWS. The district has also coordinated with Oregon State Parks, USFWS, Berry Botanic Garden, Friends of Shore Acres, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Native Plant Society's of Oregon and California, The Nature Conservancy, and interested local individuals, dealing with western lily (Lilium occidentale), a federally endangered species. Recent work has included habitat enhancement work at various western lily populations, population and habitat monitoring, seed collection, and an experimental introduction at New River ACEC. The district is currently involved in development of the western lily recovery plan. Cooperation with other agencies and private groups for snowy plover monitoring and research is ongoing through participation in the Western Snowy Plover Working Team for Oregon. We participated in two community forums for Western Snowy Plovers to help educate community members and business owners about management actions for plovers. We also provided marbled murrelet survey data to ODFW. We cooperated with other agencies for regular monitoring efforts for bald eagles and western snowy plovers. The district does not have any Category 1 Survey and Manage (S&M) species. Resource area wildlife and fish biologists and botanists are surveying prior to activities and managing Category 2 S&M sites. Del Norte Salamander: Surveys to protocol standards are being conducted as necessary. Numerous sightings of this species have occurred, and the sites are being managed as required by protocol. Red Tree Vole: According to draft protocol, surveys are required when habitat conditions fall below certain threshold conditions. Project areas to date have been above thresholds and surveys have not been necessary. Bats: Surveys are being conducted as necessary. Currently no survey protocols have been developed for fungi, lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants. It is anticipated that when these protocols are available that surveys will be conducted prior to ground disturbing activities in FY 99. Surveys for Category 3 and 4 S&M species will be done at the regional level, not the local level. Protocols are being developed for many of the species. As part of the New River ACEC Management Plan, the district has acquired approximately 303.5 acres of land through the direct purchase from four willing sellers in FY 94 and 95. These lands will be managed as part of the ACEC, with primary benefitting resources being the T&E species (snowy plover, Aleutian Canada goose, and western lily). In FY 94 the district obtained Spruce Reach Island (approximately 55 acres) to protect and enhance the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. Management of these lands will be addressed in an amendment to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area Management Plan which should be completed in FY 97. In FY 95 the district also acquired the Edson Creek Park as a donation from Curry County. This land (approximately 44.5 acres) will continue to be managed as a park, with the recreation program being the benefitting activity. In FY 96 the district continued to work on proposed exchanges with Coos and Curry Counties, and with a private individual in the New River area as part of the ACEC Management Plan. The district also worked on a proposed exchange with the Weyerhaeuser Co. for lands on the North Spit. We also worked on a proposed exchange in the vicinity of Hunter Creek area as part of the Hunter Creek ACEC Management Plan. These efforts will continue in FY 97. The Coquille Restoration Act (PL 101-42) of 1989 established the Coquille Forest as part of the Coquille Tribe Self-sufficiency plan. In 1996, the Act was amended to identify approximately 5,400 acres within Coos County to be transferred from BLM to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to be held in trust for the Coquille Tribe as the "Coquille Forest". The Coquille Tribe will assume management of these lands in September 1998. The district has continued to maintain and operate the 11 existing recreation areas and sites. The Sixes River, Bear Creek, Park Creek, and Fawn Creek sites were upgraded in FY 96 to bring them up to a functional status. We also conducted a hazard tree assessment and removed trees considered to be a hazard to users on approximately 70 percent of the recreation sites in FY 96. We will continue the assessment on the remaining sites in FY 97. In FY 96 the district provided support to Club Bump in the development of approximately six miles of existing skid trails and logging roads into a mountain bike trail system. The majority of the construction effort was in the form of voluntary labor provided by Club Bump members. The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is in its second year of management, for public tours, by the BLM in accord with the interagency permit granted to BLM by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Final Interim Management Plan for the Lighthouse was completed in May 1996 by BLM and Cooperating Partners (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon, Coquille Indian Tribe, and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office). The Final Interim Management Plan specifies that: "A feasibility study will be conducted to determine the need and cost of replicating the 1870 keeper's dwelling on the duplex site or other suitable sites on state land". The BLM has contracted with the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts to perform the Architectural and Site Analysis part of the Feasibility Study. A condition assessment was performed on the lighthouse by the University of Oregon Historic Preservation Program during a two-week on-site field school during July/August 1996. Information from the assessment is being used by BLM to plan for, and implement necessary maintenance and repairs to maintain the historic integrity of the lighthouse. A contract was recently awarded to paint the lighthouse and perform some minor repairs. In FY 95 we completed an ACEC Management Plan for New River. This plan is currently being implemented. Construction of administration and maintenance buildings were completed in FY 96 as part of the Jobs-in-the-Woods program. In FY 97 the staff will continue to develop an interpretive plan that will include trail opportunities and educational programs to enhance wildlife viewing and recreation opportunities for local schools, visitors and residents. In FY 96 we completed an ACEC Management Plan for the North Fork Hunter Creek and Hunter Creek bog, which include actions to protect and enhance special status plant habitat. We plan on preparing an ACEC Management Plan for the North Fork Chetco ACEC in FY 97. We also plan on conducting a cadastral survey of the Powers Environmental Education Area in FY 97 so partnerships for environmental programs can take place. We also plan on preparing an Operations Plan for the Loon Lake Recreation Area in FY 97. In FY 95 and 96 volunteers contributed several thousand hours of labor in support of the recreation program. This included campground hosts at several recreation sites, volunteer maintenance work at several sites, and completion of several Boy Scout Eagle Projects at Loon Lake and on the North Spit. The Western Oregon Transportation Management Plan was completed in FY 96. One of the stated objectives of the plan is to comply with ACS objectives. The District is developing Transportation Management Objectives as part of the Watershed Analysis process. Watershed Analysis and road inventories identified a number of roads that posed a risk to aquatic or other resource values. Improvements were made, primarily in the form of replacement of deteriorating grade culverts, or replacement of large culverts obstructing or restricting passage of fish, or not capable of handling 100-year flood events. Additionally, several roads were decommissioned in Tier 1 Key watersheds. Many of the projects were completed as part of the Jobs-in-the-Woods program. The following road projects were awarded in FY 96: Grade culvert replacements on the following road systems: - Baker Creek - Paradise Creek - Weatherly Creek/Big Creek - Cherry Creek Mainline - Wells Fern - Cherry Creek Ridge - North Fork Cherry Creek - Vaughn Creek Fisk passage culverts were installed in the following areas - Weatherly Creek - Butler Creek - Sweden Creek - Slide Creek Road decommissioning occurred in the following drainages: - Mill Creek/Lutzinger Road - Baker Creek All culvert replacements were designed to meet the 100-year flood event. During FY 95 the district instituted a partnership for cooperative interim management of the Cape Blanco headland. Management partners include Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the Confederated tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, and the Coquille Indian Tribe. With the cooperation of our partners, Cape Blanco Lighthouse was opened to the public for tours during a two-month test period. We also contracted with a noted historian, Dr. Stephen Dow Beckham, to do research and produce a report documenting the history of the lighthouse. The district also mentored one local high school student as part of the Oregon-wide apprenticeships in science and engineering (ASE) program. The student's project included documenting a previously-recorded but undocumented archeological site containing petroglyphs (rock carvings). During FY 96 the district continued our work at Cape Blanco, including development of displays for our visitor "Greeting Center." Information developed by Dr. Beckham's research was incorporated into these displays. As well, an Interim Management Plan was finalized and signed by the partners. The University of Oregon school of Architecture and Allied Arts included the lighthouse in a summer historic architecture field school. With the assistance of professional historic architects, the students evaluated the lighthouse building condition and produced recommendations for maintaining and improving this 125 year-old structure. The district also processed burned wood collected several years earlier from part of the prehistoric site and received a radiocarbon date of about 2,000 years ago on this wood. The Umpqua-Eden archeological site was nominated and accepted for inclusion onto the National Register of Historic Places. The district also assisted the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians in production of an Environmental Impact Statement for their proposed cultural interpretive center. This included oversight of the archeological evaluation for three proposed center locations. We began negotiations towards development of a memorandum of understanding between the Coquille Indian Tribe and the Coos Bay District. In addition to these activities, the cultural program has been involved in ground-disturbing project clearances and production of human resource sections for Watershed Analysis. The district also consulted with the Coquille Indian Tribe to develop a memorandum of understanding specifying consultation and communication procedures for resource management issues on public lands. During FY 97 the district will continue to focus on Cape Blanco. We will continue to implement the architectural field school recommendations for maintaining the structural integrity of the lighthouse. We will also be involved with the University of Oregon school of Architecture and Allied Arts in a project at Cape Blanco. In this project, students would create a conceptual designs for a proposed expanded visitor center, and presented their ideas to the partners and the local community. We also plan on assisting the U.S. Coast Guard in removal of underground storage tanks on the headland. The district also plan on continuing consultations with the Coquille Indian Tribe to develop and sign the memorandum of understanding mentioned above. In June, 1996, the BLM published "A Strategy for Meeting Our Research and Scientific Information Needs", a watershed- based strategy. It lays out a strategy for identifying BLM's priority research needs, addressing all areas of science throughout the agency. It also tells how to acquire research results through partnerships with federal science agencies, the academic and nongovernment sectors and other sources. Guidelines for transferring research results into use are also provided. At the state level, BLM has organized a research and monitoring committee which periodically evaluates research recommendations, and which proposes areas needing research to cooperating agencies. Virtually all western Oregon research subjects proposed for future research in FY 96, dealt with NFP topics such as Riparian, Aquatic Conservation Strategy, and habitat issues. Current research projects on district lands are related to the NFP, although none are specifically addressing key watersheds. The North Fork Soup Creek Density Management Timber Sale is part of a formal density management study being conducted by Oregon State University. Public outreach continued at recreation sites and through exhibits at county fairs, and festivals, reaching thousands of individuals. The district provides employment opportunities to local companies and individuals as it implements the components of the RMP and NFP. Timber sales, silvicultural treatments such as thinning, and planting trees, the collection of ferns, mushrooms and firewood, and the recreational use of public lands provide work opportunities. As has been mentioned previously the Coos Bay district, in coordination with other federal, state and local governments, participates in the NFP Jobs-in-the-Woods/Watershed Restoration program. The program provides on-the-job training opportunities for workers displaced from forestry related work. The workers are hired to work on crews restoring fish and forestry habitat. In addition to hiring crews, part of the money is used to hire local area contractors to do restoration work. Table 11 displays the projects on the district in FY 95 and 96.
1 Data for 13 projects completed as of March 1, 1996. Information for the remaining 16 projects is not yet available. Several strategies and programs have been developed, through coordination with state and local government, to support local economies and enhance local communities. Below is a summary of several of these projects. -Watershed Associations: More than 10 local watershed associations on the South coast are operating on willing private landowners properties. These associations were formed to restore the health of coastal watersheds and provide jobs to local citizens and displaced timber workers. BLM provides technical assistance to these associations, as well as funding through Jobs-In-The-Woods or in coordination with other government programs or private foundations. -Oregon Coastal Environment Awareness Network (OCEAN): BLM continues to be involved with OCEAN. This past year BLM augmented a $48,000 Governor's Watershed Health Program Grant awarded to OCEAN to enhance public education about watersheds and their importance. BLM is presently involved with the Coastal Environments Learning Center Master Planning and the Coastal Environments Learning Programs summer pilot program study. -Coos County Tourism Development: BLM played a significant role in coordinating the Tourism Strategic and Implementation Plan for Coos County and is currently involved in implementing several strategies that were recommended through the planning process. -Curry County Sustainable Nature-Based Tourism Project: BLM is currently working with Curry County on implementing significant portions of its Sustainable Nature-Based Tourism Development Project. The district has also assisted in planning and developing amenities (such as recreation and wildlife viewing facilities) that enhance local communities. These include: -New River ACEC: Construction of administration and maintenance buildings have been completed. This year the staff will continue to develop an interpretive plan that will include trail opportunities and educational programs to enhance wildlife viewing and recreation opportunities for local schools, visitors and residents. -Cape Blanco: The district is currently working with the University of Oregon in conducting a feasibility study to determine the practicality of building a replica of the 1870 Keeper's dwelling or a structure that is similar in style, as a greeting center/lighthouse tour staging area. During FY 95, collections from timber sales in Oregon included $30,727,562 from O&C lands, $349,988 from CBWR lands, and $2,720,158 from public domain lands. During FY 96, collections from timber sales in Oregon included $67,979,686 from O&C lands, $3,059,774 from CBWR lands, and $9,941,349 from public domain lands. As always, those receipts are shared with county governments. The resource management related payments to counties (predominantly from timber sales) within the boundary of the Coos Bay District for 1995 and 1996 are shown in Table 12.
A third year evaluation of the Westside Resource Management Plans is in the early planning stages at this time. It will be completed in FY 1999, covering the implementation period 1996-1998. Effectiveness monitoring is a longer range program than implementation monitoring, and time must pass to measure many of the factors of concern. Currently the district is working with the state Research and Monitoring Committee and the REO in the development of the components for effectiveness monitoring. The four identified priorities are:
Province level implementation monitoring A combined team, representing the Southwest Oregon province was selected to complete the first year of Province level implementation monitoring. There were federal agency representatives and community members on the team. The team addressed 131 questions on 15 randomly selected timber sales, 3 of which were on the Coos Bay district. No significant deficiencies were noted for the three sales on the district. At the Province level, results were encouraging and reflected good field efforts at implementing the NFP. Specific results can be seen in the report titled, "Results of the FY 1996 Implementation Monitoring Program", which is available from REO or can be reviewed at any local BLM /USFS office. Coos Bay District Implementation Monitoring Implementation monitoring was based on a process developed by the district core team. The basis was the 74 questions contained in Appendix L of the RMP/ROD, but questions from the interagency monitoring effort were also incorporated or used to clarify issues of concern. Questions were separated into those which were project related and those which were more general and appropriately reported in the Annual Program Summary, such as accomplishment reports. The monitoring team consisted of district core team members. The district monitoring team selected projects for monitoring and prepared individual resource area reports based on the evaluation of the results. Detailed information on the monitoring process is available for review in the Coos Bay District Office. The following process was used for selecting individual projects to meet the ROD implementation monitoring standards: - Core team developed a list of projects occurring during the FY. The list was stratified as follows: -All advertised regular timber sales from FY 95 and 96 were listed (two years of sales were used to provide a larger pool for random selection). -Negotiated timber sales for which a Categorical Exclusions (CX) had been prepared were listed (excluding those involving fewer than 10 trees). -All silvicultural projects that would be completed by contract were listed, each contract being equated as a project. -All jobs in the woods projects were listed. -Miscellaneous projects involving ground disturbing activities for which a CX was prepared were listed. -The resource area completed selection factors on the Screening Spreadsheet for each of the projects. -The core team selected every fifth project from the Screening Spreadsheet list by resource area (Monitoring Plan in ROD required 20 percent of projects within each area be monitored). Two projects were included as preselections; the only noxious weed project, and the Bateman and Robin sale which had been reviewed by the SEIS monitoring team. -The core team compared the selected project screening factors, and made additional selections to meet the more restrictive requirements of the ROD (20 percent of regeneration harvest by resource area; 20 percent of actions within riparian reserves by resource area). Table 13 displays the distribution of projects available for selection and those selected for monitoring by Resource Area. -The core team compared the NEPA documents and Watershed Analysis files for each of the 17 selected projects. We basically attempted to answer the first part of the implementation monitoring question: were the projects prepared in accord with the underlying ROD requirements, NEPA and/or Watershed Analysis documentation, did the contracts include what the other documents said should be included. For each project we answered the questions contained on the project data sheet. We then reviewed several of the projects in the field to attempt to answer the second part of the implementation monitoring question: did we do on the ground what we said we would in the contract. Many of the individual projects will be revisited within the next year as operations had not yet been conducted on the ground.
1 Included in Timber Sales listed above. 2 Projects selected were included in Timber sales, Silvicultural projects, or Jobs-in-the-Woods projects listed above. 3 The number of projects available for selection and selected are not additive, as many occurred within Timber sales, Silvicultural projects, or Jobs-in-the-Woods projects. Based on this initial review, we have concluded that the first portion of implementation monitoring (did we do what we said we'd do) has been satisfactorily accomplished. Watershed Analysis and NEPA documentation is adequate, and the requirements in these documents have been included in the authorization documents. We did notice one weakness in the documentation, addressing the survey and manage species requirements. It was difficult to determine if these species were consciously being considered in preparing documents, however, when conferring with the IDT members, we found that the species were considered in developing the projects. This is considered to be a small problem, as the survey and manage species requirements for most species do not come into effect until 1997. Another weakness in the process used this year was the inclusion of all projects, rather than just those that have been completed. This resulted in not being able to conclude that the second part of the implementation process (did we do on the ground what we said we'd do in the contract) is being accomplished satisfactorily. Follow up trips for several projects should enable us to answer this question. Documentation for each of the 17 projects monitored is available at the district office. In FY 97 we plan on revisiting those project areas where field operations had not been completed during FY 96, and also monitor additional projects awarded in FY 97. Resource Management Plan Maintenance The Coos Bay District Resource Management Plan and Record of Decision (RMP/ROD) was approved in May 1995. Since then, the district has begun implementing the plan across the entire spectrum of resources and land use allocations. As the plan is implemented, it sometimes becomes necessary to make minor changes, refinements, or clarifications of the plan. These actions are called plan maintenance. They do not result in expansion of the scope of resource uses or restrictions or changes in terms, conditions and decisions of the approved RMP/ROD. Plan maintenance does not require environmental analysis, formal public involvement or interagency coordination. The following minor changes, refinements, or clarifications have been implemented as a part of plan maintenance for the Coos Bay District. To the extent necessary, the following items have been coordinated with the Regional Ecosystem Office (REO). These are condensed descriptions of the plan maintenance items. Detailed descriptions are available at the Coos Bay District Office by contacting Bob Gunther. Refinement of Management Actions/Direction relating to Riparian Reserves. The term "site-potential tree" height for Riparian Reserve widths has been defined as "The average maximum height of the tallest dominant trees (200 years or older) for a given site class. (See Northwest Forest Plan Record of Decision (NFP ROD) page C-31, RMP/ROD page 12). This definition will be used throughout the RMP/ROD. The method used for determining the height of a "site-potential tree" is described in Instruction Memorandum OR-95-075, as reviewed by the REO. The following steps will be used:
Additional details concerning site-potential tree height determinations is contained in the above referenced memorandum. The site potential tree heights for the Coos Bay District are generally in the range of 180 to 220 feet. Refinement of Management Actions/Direction relating to Riparian Reserves. Both the RMP/ROD (page 12) and the NFP ROD (page B-13) contain the statement "Although Riparian Reserve boundaries on permanently-flowing streams may be adjusted, they are considered to be the approximate widths necessary for attaining Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives." The REO and Research and Monitoring Committee agreed that a reasonable standard of accuracy for "approximate widths" for measuring Riparian Reserve widths in the field for management activities is plus or minus 20 feet or plus or minus 10 percent of the calculated width. Minor Refinement of Management Actions/Direction relating to coarse woody debris retention in the Matrix. The RMP/ROD describes the retention requirements for coarse woody debris (CWD) as follows: "A minimum of 120 linear feet of logs per acre, averaged over the cutting area and reflecting the species mix of the unit, will be retained in the cutting area. All logs shall have bark intact, be at least 16 inches in diameter at the large end, and be at least 16 feet in length..." (RMP/ROD pages 22, 28, 58). Instruction Memorandum No. OR-95-028, Change 1 recognized "that in many cases there will be large diameter decay class 1 and 2 logs resulting from breakage during logging left on the unit. These log sections possess desirable CWD characteristics, but under the above standards and guidelines do not count because they are less than 16 feet long. Based on field examination of these large diameter, shorter length logs it seems prudent to recognize that these tree sections have a significant presence on the landscape and are likely to provide the desired CWD form and function despite the fact their length is shorter than the specified minimum. As such, districts may count decay class 1 and 2 tree sections equal to or greater than 30 inches in diameter on the large end that are between 6 and 16 feet in length toward the 120 linear feet requirement." Refinement of Management Actions/Direction relating to Special Status Species Protection Buffers. The RMP/ROD (page 34, Appendix C-9) and NFP ROD (page C-27) included Buxbaumia piperi as a protection buffer species. Instruction Memorandum OR-96-108 indicated that inclusion of Buxbaumia piperi as a protection buffer species was in error, and documents the decision to remove it from Protection Buffer species status. Correction of Survey Strategies for Special Attention Species. Table C-1 in Appendix C of the RMP/ROD (page C-10) indicated that Arceuthobium tsugense was to be managed under survey strategies 1 (manage known sites) and 2 (survey prior to activities and manage sites). Information Bulletin OR-95-443 indicated that the REO determined mountain hemlock dwarf mistletoe to be common and well distributed in Oregon, and recommended that Arceuthobium tsugense subsp. mertensianae be managed as a survey strategy 4 species in Washington only. Correction of minor typographical errors. Page 83 of the RMP/ROD incorrectly identified the Monitoring Plan as Appendix K rather than Appendix L. Page L-27 of the RMP/ROD incorrectly included the phrase "and Adaptive Management Areas" in Implementation Monitoring Question 1. As there are no Adaptive Management Areas within the Coos Bay District, this phrase should be deleted.
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