Editor’s Note: The BuleRibbon Coalition sent over this note about Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Plan. See more details below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Medford District Office has announced that the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) Draft Transportation Management Plan (TMP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) is now available for a 45-day public review. The draft TMP/EA describes and analyzes four alternatives for future management of the monument transportation system.

The four alternatives address management of roads, routes, and trails on public lands within the CSNM, but outside the designated Soda Mountain Wilderness. The planning area encompasses 60,434 acres of lands within the monument, located approximately 15 miles southeast of Ashland, OR. The planning process addresses motorized/mechanized uses of the transportation system including off-highway vehicles, snowmobiles, bicycles, and non-motorized/non-mechanized uses including hiking and Nordic skiing.

You can access the CSNM Draft TMP/EA and Reader’s Guide on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) ePlanning website at: http://tinyurl.com/BLM-ORWA-M040-2016-0003-EA. If you do not have internet access, or would prefer a paper copy, please contact Kathy Minor, Assistant Field Manager, at 541-618-2245 or kminor@blm.gov. Paper copies of the project documents are also available for review at the Medford Interagency Office at 3040 Biddle Road, Medford; the Grants Pass Interagency Office at 2164 NE Spalding Ave, Grants Pass; or the Ashland and Medford Public Libraries.

The BLM will hold an informational open house for the CSNM Draft TMP/EA at the Bellview Grange, 1050 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland, OR on Apri16, 2016, from 6 to 8 p.m. At the open house, the public will be able to discuss the proposed alternatives, talk to BLM resource specialists, and provide written input.

Written comments will be accepted throughout the 45-day comment period. Comments may be mailed or emailed.

Written comments can be mailed to:
Bureau of Land Management
Medford Office
3040 Biddle Road
Medford, OR 97504
Attention: Kathy Minor – CSNM Draft TMP

Email comments can be sent to:
blm_or_md_mail@blm.gov

The BLM is particularly interested in comments that address one or more of the following: (1) new information that would affect the analysis, or (2) information or evidence of flawed or incomplete analysis. Specific comments are the most useful. Although comments are welcome at any time, comments are most useful if received by 4:30 p.m. on May 9, 2016.

Before including an address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in any comments, be aware that the entire comment – including personal identifying information – may be made public at any time. Requests to withhold personal identifying information from public review can be submitted, but the BLM cannot guarantee it will be able to do so.

For additional transportation management planning information, contact Joel Brumm, Assistant Monument Manager, at (541) 618-2256.

The final decision will be made only after consideration of the comments received. The decision maker may choose one of the alternatives or can select an alternative that blends components of one or more of the alternatives. Thank you for your interest in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Draft Transportation Management Plan and Environmental Assessment.