Notice of Subcommittee Meeting for the Steens Mountain Advisory Council, Oregon

AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) Public Lands Access Subcommittee will meet as indicated below.

DATES:

The Public Lands Access Subcommittee of the SMAC will hold a public meeting on Monday, October 21, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, October 22, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the BLM Burns District Office, in Hines, Oregon.

ADDRESSES:

Bureau of Land Managment, Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tara Thissell, Public Affairs Specialist, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738; 541-573-4519; tthissell@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The SMAC was established August 14, 2001, pursuant to the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (Steens Act) (Pub. L. 106-399). The SMAC provides representative counsel and advice to the BLM regarding new and unique approaches to management of the land within the bounds of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA), recommends cooperative programs and incentives for landscape management that meet human needs, and advises the BLM on maintenance and improvement of the ecological and economic integrity of the area.

The SMAC's Public Lands Access Subcommittee was established in 2015 and serves to research, discuss, and evaluate any public access issue in the Steens Mountain CMPA. Issues could relate to parking, hiking, motorized or non-motorized use, public to private land inholding routes and methods of travel, private to public land access by way of easement or other agreement, or purchase or exchange of public and private land for improved access and contiguous landscape. The subcommittee reviews all aspects of any access issue, formulates suggestions for remedy, and proposes those solutions to the entire SMAC for further discussion and possible recommendation to the BLM.

The October 21 agenda includes a field tour around the east side of Steens Mountain. The subcommittee will visit and study several sites along the East Steens Road, including Pike Creek, Frog Springs, and the Alvord Desert, and the proposed Penland Road Equestrian Campgroud location. The October 22 agenda includes a review of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000; a discussion on the Nature's Advocate, LLC, Environmental Assessment; an opportunity for subcommittee members to share information from their constituents and present research members have done between meetings; a discussion on a previously developed list of “issues of interest” for the SMAC; and an update from the SMAC's Designated Federal Official.

Any other matters that may reasonably come before the subcommittee may also be included.

The Monday, October 21, 2019, session will be held entirely in the field. The public is encouraged to attend and should meet at the Burns District Office parking lot just before 9:00 a.m. Please come prepared with your own transportation and amenities. High-clearance vehicles with quality tires and carpooling are recommended. There may be some light hiking. On Tuesday, October 22, 2019, the meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Burns District Office and is open to the public. A public comment period is available on Tuesday, October 22, at 11 a.m. Unless otherwise approved by the subcommittee chair, the public comment period will last no longer than 30 minutes, and each speaker may address the subcommittee for a maximum of 5 minutes. Sessions may end early if all business items are accomplished ahead of schedule or may be extended if discussions warrant more time.

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, please be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

(Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4-2)