What's New!
Oregon-Washington BLM, Vale District, Malheur Field Office announces the availability of the Southeastern Oregon Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment on February 26, 2024
The BLM appreciates the level of participation in this planning process from Native American Tribes, cooperating agencies, Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Committee and the public in reaching a successful completion of this project.
Publication of the Proposed RMP Amendment Initiated both a 30-day protest period and a 60 day Oregon Governor's Consistency Review
BLM received two protests. Protests of RMPs or RMP Amendments are managed by the Assistant Director for Lands and Resources. All protests were addressed; the BLM Director's Response to Protests can be accessed at this web site:
The BLM announces the availability of the Proposed Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan Amendment (PRMPA) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
June 16th 2023 the Bureau of Land Management published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability the Southeastern Oregon Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment (PRMPA) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Southeastern Oregon planning area of the Vale District. This planning process proposes to amend the long-term management of the Southeastern Oregon planning area. The planning area encompasses approximately 4.6 million acres for the Malheur Field Office of the Vale District BLM. The current resource management plan Record of Decision was signed in 2002, and was subsequently amended by the 2015 Oregon Greater Sage-grouse Approved Management Plan Amendment. This 2023 PRMPA/FEIS would further amend the SEORMP.
The Proposed Amendment would:
- Prioritize protection of thirty-three areas (417,190 acres) found by BLM to possess wilderness characteristics (outside of existing Wilderness Study Areas). Management of protected areas would emphasize maintenance and/or enhancement of the wilderness resource: size of the unit, naturalness, and outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive and unconfined recreation.
- Designate 319,501 acres that are currently Open to cross-country off-highway vehicle (OHV) use as Limited to existing roads and primitive routes. This would bring the total of OHV Limited acres in the planning area to 4.5 million. All thirty-three of the protected lands with wilderness characteristic areas are within this OHV Limited category. Two areas near the city of Vale totaling 40,368 acres would remain open to cross-country OHV use. The 15,829 acres that are currently closed to motorized use would remain OHV Closed.
- Address two livestock grazing management issues,
- Management Direction where Standards for Rangeland Health are not achieved would continue to be in accordance with 43 CFR 4180.2. Under the PRMPA BLM would also consider taking action to make progress toward
land health standards and land use plan objectives, even if existing livestock
grazing is not determined to be a significant causal factor for non-attainment
of Standard(s). Additionally, the BLM would not authorize an increase in animal unit months (AUM) if a Standards for Rangeland Health Assessment and
Evaluation has not been completed for an allotment or pasture, or if the
existing evaluation no longer represents resource conditions previously
assessed and evaluated, until an evaluation that represents those conditions is available.
- Upon receipt of a voluntary livestock grazing permit relinquishment, BLM would review compatibility of livestock grazing use with other existing resources in the permitted area. Based on an analysis of competing resources or other opportunities, while the relinquishment would not, in and of itself, result in that forage allocation being unavailable for use by livestock, the BLM could wholly or partially: designate an area
as unavailable to livestock grazing, create a reserve common allotment, and/or
only allow livestock grazing for vegetation treatments (e.g., targeted, or
prescriptive grazing)
The entire PRMPA/FEIS is available for download and review by clicking "Documents" to the left. The Executive Summary provides a brief overview of the history of this planning process and the alternatives. Chapter 2 specifically addresses Management Objectives and Management Direction that are proposed. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for the land use allocation data may be downloaded under "Map Data" at the left or by going to BLM's "Data Hub" (https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/oregon). An interactive map showing the Proposed RMP Amendment (and alternatives) land use allocations by going to this web page: (https://apps.geocortex.com/webviewer/?app=5b4bd28c1a274fa38f5e8c6153afdacc).
Publication of the PRMPA/FEIS initiates a 30-day
protest period and 60-day Oregon Governor’s consistency review. The Governor’s consistency review provides the
State of Oregon with the opportunity to review the PRMPA/FEIS to ensure
consistency with state plans, policies, and programs. The BLM will issue a Record of Decision and an
Approved RMP Amendment after responding to any protests received and resolving
any issues raised during your consistency review.
The protest period will close on July 17th, 2023
Filing a Protest
The process for filing a protest are detailed in the "Interested Public" letter at the beginning of the Southeastern Oregon PRMPA/FEIS document and is summarized below.
All protests must be in writing and filed with the BLM Director, either as a hard copy or electronically via BLM’s National NEPA Register for this Southeastern Oregon RMP Amendment at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/admin/project/87435/510 (see Documents Section to left) by the close of the protest period. The close of the protest period is 30 days from the date that the Proposed Amendment and Final EIS Notice of Availability is published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register. The only electronic protests the BLM will accept are those filed through BLM’s National NEPA Register. All protest letters sent to the BLM via fax or e-mail will be considered invalid unless a properly filed protest is also submitted.
Instructions for filing a protest can be found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and also at
43 CFR 1610.5-2. If you do not have the ability to file your protest electronically, hard copy protests must be mailed to one of the following addresses:
Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 261117, Lakewood, CO 80226
Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, Denver Federal Center, Building 40, Lakewood, CO 80215.
BLM appreciates your input to this planning process and look forward to your continued interest and participation. For additional information or clarification regarding this document, please contact the Vale BLM District Manager Wayne Monger or project lead Brent Grasty at 541-473-3144.
Documents are online and can be found by using the Documents and Maps links to the Left.
Previously Posted
The public comment period on the Draft Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan and Draft EIS closed on August 28, 2019 - COMPLETED.
The Bureau of Land Management, Vale District received over 4,000 submissions during the comment period. The interdisciplinary team (IDT) reviewed each comment to identify substantive comments that help guide the development of the Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS. BLM developed formal responses to all substantive comments and has made them available in the Appendices of the PRMPA/FEIS Public comments on the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS have considered in the development of a Proposed RMP Amendment. The BLM appreciates the public's and other partner's involvement in this process.
Draft Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan Amendment and Draft EIS - public comment 90 Days - (May 31, 2019 - August 28, 2019) - COMPLETED
As part of its commitment to healthy and productive landscapes, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to amend the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for public lands within the Southeastern Oregon planning area of the Vale District. The Malheur Field Office is seeking public comments on the Draft Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan (SEORMP) Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which evaluates five alternatives that address lands with wilderness characteristics, off-highway vehicle use, and livestock grazing in the 4.6 million acre planning area. The planning area is bounded on the east by Idaho, on the south by Nevada, on the north by the Vale District’s Baker Field Office, and on the west by the BLM Burns District. (For a map of the Planning area and to use the interactive map see the "Maps" link on the left)
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, 43 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq., is the statutory authority that provides the primary direction to the BLM to develop, maintain, amend, and revise land use plans, which guide the use of public lands. Furthermore, FLPMA provides that the BLM shall manage public lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield. The Purpose and Need of this SEORMP Amendment is to comply with the provisions of a 2010 Settlement Agreement which, requires the BLM to undertake an amendment of the SEORMP and do the following, address wilderness characteristics, off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, and grazing management by:
1) Considering information from wilderness characteristics inventory.
2) Developing a full range of allocation alternatives with respect to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, that includes both effects on and protection of wilderness characteristics. OHV allocations include open, limited, and closed.
3) Developing grazing management alternatives that reduce grazing authorizations upon receipt of a voluntary grazing permit relinquishment.
4) Analyzing adjustments in grazing use where Standards for Rangeland Health are not met due to current livestock grazing.
Other Related Information and Documents used for this RMP Amendment
2010 SEORMP Amendment Scoping - Completed
The Vale District conducted public scoping in 2010. Although the efforts identified a number of potential issues, the SEORMP amendment will only address those issues identified in the 2010 Settlement Agreement. The BLM considers the additional issues raised during scoping as relevant; and will consider them in future environmental analyses or as Plan Maintenance if appropriate. A complete list of all issues identified is found in the October 2012 Scoping Report for each of the planning areas. (To view this document click the documents tab on the Left)
2005 Wind Energy Development Final Programmatic EIS - Completed
The Wind Energy Development Final Programmatic EIS evaluates the potential impacts associated with the proposed action to develop a Wind Energy Development Program, including the adoption of policies and best management practices (BMPs) and the amendment of 52 BLM land use plans (which included the SEORMP) to address wind energy development. The Final PEIS includes proposed amendments to 52 BLM land use plans in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as described in Appendix C of the Final PEIS. (Click here to go to the documents and ROD on the web site)
2015 Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse Approved RMP Amendment (ARMPA) - Completed
In the fall of 2012, the BLM Oregon State Director issued IM OR-2013-009, which put the RMP amendment on hold, pending completion of an Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse Approved RMP Amendment (ARMPA). The ROD was signed in 2015, which amended all RMPs in eastern Oregon. The ARMPA, modified management direction on approximately 4,092,000 acres of public lands in the SEO planning area, representing approximately 88 percent of those lands in the Southeastern Oregon planning area. With the completion of the ARMPA, the BLM is reinitiating the SEORMP amendment effort.
Click here to view all BLM Oregon ARMPA documents.
2019 Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment
This Oregon Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment makes 21,959 acres of key Research Natural Areas available to livestock grazing. It also updates language relating to compensatory mitigation to bring the 2015 Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments into consistency with current Department and BLM mitigation direction and policy. These six 2019 Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments build on the work that was completed in 2015 to respond to the deteriorating health of the sagebrush landscapes of the American West and the declining population of the Greater Sage-Grouse, a ground-dwelling bird that was under consideration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Click here to view document
Wilderness Characteristics Inventory Assessments - Completed
For more information about the Wilderness Characteristics Inventory maintenance that will be used during this planning effort, click here to go to the documents on the BLM web site.
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For other questions call the BLM Vale District at 541-473-3144 and ask for Brent Grasty (Project Team Lead)
