About Lakeview

Welcome to the Bureau of Land Management's Lakeview District. The public lands we manage vary from the mixed conifer forests on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains to the beautiful high desert country of Oregon's Outback. The District is made up of two resource areas, the Klamath Falls Resource Area and the Lakeview Resource Area. The Lakeview District's boundary encompasses approximately 3.5 million acres of public land in Lake, Klamath, and part of Harney counties in south-central and southeastern Oregon.

Among the special areas that the Lakeview District manages are two impressive wetlands: the 51,000-acre Warner Wetlands in Lake County, and the 3,200-acre Wood River Wetlands in Klamath County. Both are stop-over points or nesting areas on the Pacific Flyway for millions of migrating waterfowl each year, making them favorite places of many bird watchers.

If you're an outdoors enthusiast, you will find numerous recreational opportunities on public lands in Lakeview's BLM District. You can get a thrill rafting the challenging whitewater of the Upper Klamath Wild and Scenic River or hang-gliding from one of the tall mountains east of Lakeview, or seek more serene pastimes such as fishing in lakes, rivers, and streams for trout or warm-water fish. Camping and boating are available at our developed recreational sites at Gerber and J.C. Boyle reservoirs. During public hunting seasons, hunters can find areas of solitude to stalk big-game species of antelope, mule deer, and elk and a variety of upland birds and waterfowl.

If your future travels include the Lakeview BLM District, feel free to stop by one of our offices, either in Lakeview or Klamath Falls. Our staff will gladly show you several maps and brochures available to make your visit more enjoyable.

District Programs

Wildland Fire Management

The prescribed fire program on the Lakeview district is one of the most progressive in the BLM. This year, approximately 20,000 acres will be treated for vegetation modification, hazard reduction and slash disposal.

The Lakeview District averages 68 fires consuming 21,669 acres per year. Approximately 10% of the fire occurrence is human caused. Multiple fire occurrence days (days on which two or more fires occur) occur 10 to 15 times each year. The "fire season" normally runs from mid-May through mid-September.

Minerals Program

Oregon Sunstones -- Host basalt rock on upper right, rough stones in center foreground, and a variety of cut stones and jewelry.

The Lakeview District minerals program focuses on mining claims and the disposal of mineral materials. Active operations include perlite and diatomite mining, the production of sand, gravel, rock, cinders, and decorative stone, and mining of the largest deposit of this State's gemstone, the Oregon Sunstone, a semiprecious feldspar. With the current focus on global warming, the real mineral potential may lie in the four Known Geothermal Resource Areas that occur within the District. Geothermal energy is a clean, environmentally friendly energy source.

Range Management

The Lakeview District encompasses awbout 3.5 million acres in 3 counties, Klamath, Lake, and Harney. The district is divided into two Resource Areas: Klamath Falls and Lakeview. There are 219 grazing allotments. The public lands encompassing the district vary greatly, from mixed conifer forests to high desert ecosystems typical of the Northern Great Basin. Livestock grazing is one of many of the recognized multiple uses of public lands. The district annually authorizes 178,000 Animal Unit Months (forage to sustain domestic livestock (individually) for one month, approximately 800 pounds of air dry forage) A percentage of the grazing fees collected go into the U.S. Treasury, but most is returned to the county to the range betterment fund and a portion to the state or BLM district in which it originated to be used for range improvement projects designed to benefit wildlife and watershed resources while improving conditions for livestock grazing.