BLM wants public input on Cline Buttes management

Many local people ride horses or ATVs or hike in the Cline Buttes area east of Sisters.

Beginning this spring, the BLM is seeking public input in their planning process for 31,000 acres of federal lands located between Sisters, Redmond, Bend and Tumalo. With the help of area residents and visitors, the BLM will develop a site-specific management plan and facility design under the broad umbrella of its Upper Deschutes Resources Management Plan.

An initial public “scoping” meeting will be held later this spring followed by other public meetings and comment periods into the summer. A target date of June 2007 has been set for completing the plan.

During the planning process, the BLM wants to hear from the public how the area is currently being used and what suggestions the public has for future uses, including how to reduce user conflicts.

The planning area is located about five miles east of Sisters, five miles west of Redmond and nine miles north of Bend and Tumalo in the heart of the fast-growing urban area of Oregon.

This area includes portions of Cline Buttes, large areas of old-growth juniper forests, scenic canyons, and several public segments of the Deschutes River. Currently, horseback riders, hikers, off-highway vehicle users and mountain bicyclists visit the area. This area is also home for key resources including Peck’s milkvetch and portions of the historic Tumalo irrigation canals.

To get in on the ground floor, those interested may be placed on the mailing list for future information by contacting the BLM by e-mail at [email protected] or by writing Greg Currie, Team Leader, Prineville BLM, 3050 NE 3rd St., Prineville, OR 97754. Additional information will be posted on the BLM State Office Web site at http://www.blm.gov. Call the Prineville BLM office at 541-416-6700.