Item 4C: Resolution Regarding BLM Proposal

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Adoption of Resolution 4923 Concerning Protection of Mature and Old Growth Forests in the State of Oregon Meeting Date: January 14, 2008 Agenda Item Number: 4C Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Brenda Wilson www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-8441 ISSUE STATEMENT This is an action item to adopt a Resolution setting out the City’s position on the harvesting of old growth and mature forests. BACKGROUND On August 10, 2007, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the revision of the Resource Management Plans of the western Oregon BLM Districts. The draft EIS analyzes the impacts of four Alternatives: maintaining the current plans (“No Action” Alternative) and three new Alternatives. The BLM had originally allowed 90 days for the public to comment on the draft EIS. In October, because of the extensive nature of the analysis in the draft EIS, the BLM extended the public comment period for an additional 30 days, until January 11, 2008. Comments and suggestions from the public along with ideas from cooperating agencies will be used by the BLM to craft proposed resource management plans that will be analyzed in a final EIS. Since the plan revision and the draft EIS were released last year, over 200 meetings have been held with a variety of groups, organizations, public officials, other federal agencies, scientists, tribal representatives, the State of Oregon and representatives of western Oregon counties. Last fall, two day- long public technical sessions were held in Medford and Eugene to allow interested parties to learn more about the analysis in the draft EIS from BLM specialists. In December 2007, the Mayor, at the request of a constituent, asked the members of the IGR Committee if one or more of them had an interest in moving the discussion of the draft EIS forward and perhaps looking at writing either a letter or adopting a Resolution regarding the draft EIS. Both Councilors Bettman and Pryor stated they needed more information to fully understand the four Alternatives set out in the BLM’s draft EIS in order to take a specific position. Councilor Pryor further advocated for a full ” “reasonable, inclusive, and deliberatedialog on the issue. Unfortunately, Council Winter Break began before any consensus could be made on how to move this issue forward and then the membership of the IGR Committee changed. F:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080114\S0801144C.doc