Recreation

Objectives

Provide a wide range of developed and dispersed recreation opportunities that contribute to meeting projected recreation demand within the planning area.

Manage scenic, natural, and cultural resources to enhance visitor recreation experience expectations and to satisfy public land users.

Support locally-sponsored tourism initiatives and community economic strategies by providing recreation projects and programs that benefit both short- and long-term implementation.

Manage off-highway vehicle use on BLM-administered land to protect natural resources, provide visitor safety, and minimize conflicts among various users.

Enhance recreation opportunities provided by existing and proposed Watchable Wildlife areas and National Back Country Byways.

Continue to provide nonmotorized recreation opportunities and create additional opportunities where consistent with other management objectives.

Manage special and extensive recreation management areas in a manner consistent with BLM Recreation 2000: A Strategic Plan and Oregon-Washington Public Lands Recreation Initiative.

Land Use Allocations

Allocations by Recreation Management Category are displayed in Table 4.

See Map 7 for locations and Table 5 for a list of recreation sites and areas for the RMP.

Management Actions/Direction - Riparian Reserves

Design and construct new recreational facilities within Riparian Reserves—including trails and dispersed sites—in a manner that does not interfere with meeting Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. Construction of these facilities should not prevent future attainment of these objectives. For existing recreation facilities within Riparian Reserves, evaluate and mitigate impacts to ensure that these do not prevent, and to the extent practicable contribute to, attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives.

Adjust dispersed and developed recreation practices that retard or prevent attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. Where adjustment measures such as education, use limitations, traffic control devices, increased maintenance, relocation of facilities, and/or specific site closures are not effective, eliminate the practice or occupancy.

Management Actions/Direction - Late-Successional Reserves

Retain and maintain existing recreation developments consistent with other management actions/direction for Late-Successional Reserves.

Use adjustment measures—such as education, use limitations, traffic control devices, or increased maintenance—when dispersed or developed recreation practices retard or prevent attainment of Late-Successional Reserve objectives.

Neither construct nor authorize new facilities that may adversely affect Late-Successional Reserves.

Review on a case-by-case basis new recreation development proposals. They may be approved when adverse effects can be minimized and mitigated.

Locate new recreation developments to avoid degradation of habitat and adverse effects on identified late-successional species.

Remove hazard trees along trails and in developed recreation areas.

Management Actions/Direction - All Land Use Allocations

In addition to the guidelines for late-successional and riparian reserves, manage recreation resources in accordance with the following guidelines:

General

Enhance travel and recreation management through increased emphasis on interpretive and informational signs and maps. Identify on informational handouts at field locations all major travel routes within the planning area. Prepare a district-wide travel map for public distribution. These actions would support state and local strategies to encourage tourism.

In addition to the existing and potential recreation sites, areas, and trails under the RMP, the district would consider additional sites and areas for recreational use and development as warranted by increased recreation needs and demands, opportunities to enhance local economic vitality, or where new recreation opportunities arise. Additional land acquisitions to enhance recreation resource opportunities would be identified and evaluated on a case-by-case basis through watershed analysis and activity-level planning.

Where appropriate and compatible with other resource management objectives, BLM would work with the private sector and not-for-profit organizations to develop suitable sites and provide recreation facilities, management, and services on BLM-administered lands. Recreation lease opportunities or proposals would be considered on a case-by-case basis to provide for or enhance recreational use and enjoyment of public lands, and/or stimulate investment and economic diversity in the planning area.

Manage recreation areas to minimize disturbance to a number of fungus and lichen species known to occur within these areas. Follow survey and manage actions/direction as stated in the introduction to Land Use Allocations and Resource Programs.

Recreation Sites and Trails

Continue to operate and maintain 11 developed recreation sites and 4 developed trails (see Table 5).

Designate developed recreation sites as fire suppression areas (intensive) and fire fuels management areas. These designations will reduce fire hazards and protect investments. Restrictions on fire suppression equipment and activities will be required in the Loon Lake, East Shore Loon Lake, Smith River Falls, Big Tree, Park Creek, Bear Creek, and Sixes River recreation areas or sites. Specific equipment restrictions will be identified in management plans for these sites and areas.

Manage timber within developed or proposed recreation sites/areas for purposes of removing hazard trees, providing space for additional facilities and activity areas, and providing desired regeneration of the forest canopy.

Maintain potential for recreation development in 13 sites, including 5 boat ramps and the North Spit public fishing dock, and 8 trail locations (see Table 5). Develop potential sites and trails as funding becomes available.

Pursue mineral withdrawals for existing developed recreation sites and for proposed recreation sites when development is approved.

Implement no action that will compromise the purpose of developed sites/areas which are under existing Recreation and Public Purposes Act leases to other agencies. When existing leases for these sites/areas expire, reevaluate their relevance, on a case-by-case basis, in light of current BLM management objectives.

Special Recreation Management Areas

Continue to manage four existing Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs), designate two new SRMAs (Sixes River and Tioga), and maintain potential to develop one new SRMA (Gregory Point). Expand the four existing SRMAs (see Table 5) through planned land acquisitions (exchanges, fee purchase, or easement acquisitions). Address SRMA issues and prioritize projects in watershed analyses. Manage Dean Creek SRMA according to the existing management plan for the Elk Viewing area. Prepare a management plan for the Loon Lake Sixes River and Tioga SRMAs, complete ongoing management plans for the New River and Coos Bay Shorelands SRMAs, and prepare project plans as needed.

Extensive Recreation Management Areas

Address extensive recreation management area issues and prioritize projects in watershed analyses. Prepare project plans as needed.

Back Country Byways

Designate and facilitate use of up to five new Back Country Byways (see Table 5). Install signing and develop interpretive brochures an waysides to facilitate use.

Coordinate planning, designation, and management of Back Country Byways with adjoining BLM districts, county governments, chambers of commerce, regional tourism alliances, adjacent landowners, and the U. S. Forest Service.

Off-Highway Vehicles

Designate the majority of BLM-administered land open to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use on designated roads and trails (see Table 6).

Close or continue to manage as "closed" the following sites/areas to OHV use (approximately 3,000 acres):

-		Wilderness Areas
-		Wilderness Study Areas
-		Cherry Creek Research Natural Areas
-		Progeny Test Sites/Seed Orchards
-		Big Tree Recreation Site
-		Tioga Creek ACEC
-		China Wall ACEC
-		Powers Environmental Education Area
-		Most BLM-administered lands in the New River ACEC
-		Fenced Snowy plover areas on the North Spit of Coos Bay
-		Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area, except for the developed parking and access roads

Limit OHV use to designated roads throughout most of the District including the following sites/areas (approximately 326,600 acres):

-		Developed and proposed recreation sites/areas.
-		Late-Successional Reserves.
-		Riparian Reserves.
-		Proposed ACECs (Wassen Creek, North Spit, North Fork Coquille River, Upper Rock Creek, North Fork Hunter Creek, Hunter Creek Bog, and North Fork Chetco River).
-		Close and rehabilitate roads that are not needed for continued resource management or use. Within the ODFW Tioga Big Game Management Area (approximately 190,200 acres), the goal will be to maintain 1.1 miles of road per section per watershed with a maximum density of 2.9 miles per section per watershed when all classes of road are considered. In the remainder of the district, the goal will be to maintain a density of 2.9 miles of road per section per watershed. Roads to be closed or with restricted access would be primarily local roads, and secondary or collector roads.

Manage the 80-acre Umpqua Lighthouse site as open to unrestricted access by OHVs.

Where compatible with other resource management objectives, closed roads would be available to the public for non-motorized access for recreational pursuits including hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and walk-in hunting. Similarly, closed roads would be available for linking by trails to provide a network of non-motorized recreation opportunities.

Prepare an implementation plan for OHV use designations.