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NEPA Number: DOI-BLM-ORWA-L050-2026-0002-CX
Project Name: Habitat Improvement Through Juniper Treatments in Fisher Canyon

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Project Information

NEPA Number

DOI-BLM-ORWA-L050-2026-0002-CX
Project Name

Habitat Improvement Through Juniper Treatments in Fisher Canyon
Project Type

CE
NEPA Status

Cancelled - Cancelled
Lead Office

Lakeview Field Office
Last Updated

4/1/2026 5:00:00 PM

Project Description

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to thin and control western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) on 9,092 acres within the Lakeview Field Office for wildlife habitat improvement. Management direction in the Lakeview ROD/RMP calls for “rehabilitation of shrub steppe vegetation communities at risk due to dominance by annual species and invasive western juniper” (BLM 2003b, p. 29). Specifically, within the proposed action area, “invasive western juniper will be treated using prescribed fire and/or mechanical treatment on 18,000 to 30,000 acres of bighorn sheep range in the … Coleman Rim… herd rangesand [sic] on 10,000 to 25,000 acres of mule deer winter range (see Map V-3). Treatments will reduce invasive western juniper by 30 to 70 percent within each of these areas over the life of the plan” (BLM 2003b, p.34). The proposed action will not remove old growth juniper (those displaying old-growth characteristics) as per the Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment (ARMPA) (BLM 2025a, Appendix 2, p. 2-11).

The project is designed to balance juniper management practices with conservation goals for sage grouse while also enhancing mule deer habitat over the long term. The objectives are:
•	Within sage-grouse habitat: To reduce canopy cover to below 5% within a 4-mile radius of a sage grouse lek, excluding western juniper phase 3 .
•	Within mule deer winter range: To create patches of edge habitat to support mule deer winter range habitat.

What's New

January 14, 2026 - The CE authority (CE-6) used in this NEPA document was the subject of a lawsuit (Oregon Wild v. USFS, Case No. 1:22-cv-01007-MC). On January 13, 2026, Judge McShane held that the USFS may not rely on CE-6 to approve actions that were not final agency actions as of the date of the Order. BLM adopted Categorical Exclusions from various agencies under section 109 of the National Environmental Policy Act in 2025, including CE-6. Lakeview BLM has cancelled this Categorical Exclusion and will conduct a separate NEPA process in the future to carry out this project.

Project Location

City	State/Territory	Zip Code	County(ies)
Adel	Oregon	97620	Lake County

Application Information

Program

Fish and Wildlife
Sub-Program

Habitat Improvements

Project Dates

Start Date

12/17/2025
End Date

12/18/2025

Project Office Information

Lead Office

Lakeview Field Office
Offices

Lakeview FO

Contacts

Contact 1 Name

Lindsey Smith - [email protected] - BLM
Contact 1 Email

[email protected]
Contact 1 Phone