Steens Mountain Advisory Council

Council Information
Members
Minutes and Agendas
Charter (PDF)
Steens Mountain, Roseburg District

The 12-member Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) was created and appointed by the Secretary of Interior on August 14, 2001, pursuant to the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (Steens Act)(P.L. 106-399).

The Steens Act was the culmination of a cooperative effort among Oregon's Congressional delegation, Governor Kitzhaber, and the Department of Interior to provide long-term protection for the cultural, economic, ecological, and social health of the Steens Mountain Area.

This unique Act created several new management designations on public land on and around the Steens Mountain. The Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA) encompasses 428,156 acres of public land in Harney County, Oregon, including a no-livestock area of 97,229 acres of public land within the 170,084-acre Steens Mountain Wilderness Area.

The SMAC's purpose is to provide representative counsel and advice to BLM regarding: (1) new and unique approaches to management of the land within the bounds of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA); (2) cooperative programs and incentives for landscape management that meet human needs and maintain and improve the ecological and economic integrity of the area; and (3) preparation and implementation of a management plan for the CMPA.

Members of the SMAC are appointed for terms of three years and serve without monetary compensation. They are reimbursed, however, for travel and per diem expenses at current rates for Government employees. Each member must be a person who, as a result of training and experience, has knowledge or special expertise which qualifies him or her to provide advice from among the categories of interest listed below:

  • A private landowner in the CMPA (appointed from nominees submitted by the County Court of Harney County)
  • Two persons who are grazing permittees on Federal lands in the CMPA (appointed from nominees submitted by the County Court of Harney County)
  • A person interested in fish and recreational fishing in the CMPA (appointed from nominees submitted by the Governor of Oregon)
  • A member of the Burns Paiute Tribe (appointed from nominees submitted by the Burns Paiute Tribe)
  • Two persons who are recognized environmental representatives, one of whom represents the State as a whole, and one of whom is from the local area (appointed from nominees submitted by the Governor of Oregon)
  • A person who participates in what is commonly called "dispersed recreation" -- such as hiking, camping, nature viewing, nature photography, bird watching, horse-back riding, or trail walking (appointed from nominees submitted by BLM)
  • A person who is a recreation permit holder or is a representative of a commercial recreation operation in the CMPA (appointed from nominees submitted by the county court of Harney County and BLM)
  • A person who participates in what is commonly called "mechanized" or "consumptive recreation" -- such as hunting, fishing, off-road driving, hang-gliding, or parasailing (appointed from nominees submitted by BLM)
  • A person with expertise and interest in wild-horse management on Steens Mountain (appointed from nominees submitted by BLM)
  • A person who has no financial interest in the CMPA to represent Statewide interests (appointed from nominees submitted by BLM)

The SMAC meets approximately seven times per year. All SMAC meetings are open to the public, and the public may contribute during public comment sessions. Unless otherwise approved by the SMAC Chair, the public comment periods will last no longer than 30 minutes, and each speaker can address the SMAC for a maximum of 5 minutes.

Please contact the SMAC Coordinator for further information.