Decision to Change Survey and Manage Measures in the Northwest Forest Plan Signed by Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
January 17, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Rex Holloway, Forest Service - 503-808-2231
Chris Strebig, Bureau of Land Management - 503-952-6003 Jenny Valdivia, Fish and Wildlife Service - 503-231-6297
PORTLAND, January 17, 2001 - The Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture signed a Record of Decision on January 12 that finalizes changes in the "Survey and Manage" mitigation measures in the Northwest Forest Plan. The decision culminates two years of efforts by the Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service in preparing the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) that was released to the public in November.
"The Agencies have taken a large step to address the needs of the species and the communities in the Northwest," said Dick Prather, SEIS Team Leader. This mitigation measure in conjunction with other elements of the Northwest Forest Plan provides direction for management of 346 rare and little known species closely associated with late-successional or old-growth forests.
The Northwest Forest Plan required land managers to follow Survey and Manage Standards and Guidelines to provide benefits to some 400 species. During the last six years, Agency scientists have identified problems in identifying certain species in the field. In addition, the Northwest Forest Plan had no criteria for changing categories in the Survey and Manage list. Some species received more protection than was needed while others did not receive adequate protection. This resulted in unnecessarily restricting management activities while leaving other species at risk. In a proactive step, the Agencies began the preparation of a
SEIS in 1998 to correct the identified problems. In that same year, the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service were sued over implementation of the Survey and Manage guidelines by environmental groups. The lawsuit resulted in a "settlement agreement" which allowed the Agencies to continue their program of work after certain mandated requirements were met.
"We have learned a lot about Survey and Manage since we adopted the Northwest Forest Plan," said Dick Prather, SEIS Team Leader. "Changes to the Survey and Manage requirement are designed to incorporate up-to-date science, continue to provide an appropriate level of protection for rare and little known species, and use the Agencies' resources more efficiently."
The Record of Decision implements Alternative 1, with modifications. While providing approximately the same level of protection intended in the Northwest Forest Plan, the recent decision better identifies species needs; sets survey priorities; clarifies Survey and Manage language by eliminating inconsistent or redundant direction; and establishes a process for adding or removing species when new information becomes available. The changes should increase the efficiency of the Survey and Manage Program and reduce unnecessary impacts to forest management activities.
The decision modifies Alternative 1 by requiring surveys and management of known sites for some mollusk species that were projected to have unstable populations, as well as adding reporting requirements and clarifying language.
Survey and Manage requirements apply to all forest- management activities, such as timber harvesting, prescribed burning, trail construction, road reconstruction and maintenance, that could disturb the habitats of the species covered by the requirements. Surveys would be required for 75 species prior to conducting an activity that would disturb their habitat, and appropriate protection would be provided based on any species found in the area. The decision also would direct the Agencies to conduct strategic surveys to better determine the abundance, distribution, and habitat relationships of the rare or little known late-successional or old-growth related species within the Northwest Forest Plan area.
Copies of the Record of Decision and the FSEIS can be obtained by writing the Regional Ecosystem Office at P.O. Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208. They can also be accessed directly on the Internet at http://www.or.blm.gov/nwfpnepa.
ABOUT THE NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN
The Northwest Forest Plan (adopted in 1994) responds to dual needs: the need for protecting habitat for more than 1000 species associated with late-successional and old-growth forests, and the need for forest products.
The Northwest Forest Plan is a comprehensive ecosystem management strategy, the core components of which include:
A network of Late-Successional and other reserves distributed across the landscape in which management actions must protect or enhance late-successional forest conditions; An aquatic conservation strategy that delineates reserves (buffers) along rivers, streams and other riparian areas, and provides other measures to protect or improve aquatic and riparian habitats;
A series of broadly stated standards and guidelines that provide guidance for management actions across the entire Northwest Forest Plan area; and
A series of specific standards and guidelines for management actions outside of reserve areas.
The Plan area covers about 24.4 million acres of federal land in western Oregon, western Washington, and northern California. Approximately 78% of the area is in a reserve status. The area can be broken into the following categories:
Areas under special designations made by Acts of Congress, such as Wilderness, National Parks, and Wild and Scenic Rivers (approximately 30%, or 7.3 million acres); Late-Successional Reserves (approximately 31%, or 7.5 million acres);
Riparian Reserves (approximately 11%, or 2.6 million acres); Administratively Withdrawn Areas (approximately 6%, or 1.5 million acres);
Adaptive Management Areas (approximately 6%, or 1.5 million acres); and
Matrix Areas (approximately 16%, or 4.0 million acres)
Scheduled timber harvest is only permitted in the matrix and adaptive management areas. Certain thinning, salvage sales and other multiple use activities are allowed in the reserves only if they maintain or improve the characteristics and purposes of the reserves.
A more in-depth description of the land areas in the Northwest Forest Plan is available in the FSEIS located at the website listed above.