Mitchell, Ore. — The BLM plans to begin site upgrades to the Priest Hole Recreation Area on the John Day River on October 1. The site will be closed for public safety during the renovations, which is projected to last until May 2025.

The renovations will enhance visitor experience while improving fish and wildlife habitat.

The project will establish 15 campsites with signs, fire rings, and picnic tables, two group use sites with room for multiple vehicles and/or tents, and a vault toilet. Additionally, the BLM plans to plant and irrigate vegetation in 45 acres for screening and wildlife food and cover, including 20 acres of cottonwood and riparian shrubs along the John Day River. 

“We are grateful for the partnership with Wheeler SWCD to make improvements in this beautiful recreation area,” said Kyle Hensley, Central Oregon Field Manager. “We could not do this project, or many others like it, without the in-depth support of our partners like Wheeler SWCD.”

“And we appreciate the public’s patience with the temporary closure,” Hensley continued. “Other BLM managed developed recreation sites in the area will remain open.”

The BLM has partnered with the Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to manage the construction and restoration contract.

"Wheeler SWCD is excited for the Priest Hole Restoration project to be moving forward to the implementation phase," said Cassi Newton, Wheeler SWCD Manager. "Natural resources are the pride of Wheeler County, so it is important to ensure sustainable use of those resources by protecting and maintaining them for generations to come."
For more information about the Priest Hole site improvements, please call the Prineville District at 541-416-7600.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Hines, Ore. – The Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) will meet Thursday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, October 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Bureau of Land Management’s Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West in Hines, Oregon. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend. A virtual participation option is available as well. 

Agenda items for the two-day meeting include information on or from the Designated Federal Official and the Andrews/Steens Field Manager, Inflation Reduction Act projects, and recreation visitor use statistics. The SMAC will discuss their inholder/edgeholder initiative and hear a presentation from a BLM Archaeologist and the Burns Paiute Tribe about their culture and aboriginal homelands in the area as well. The Bridge Creek Environmental Impact Statement, Natures Advocate, LLC, Inholder Access Environmental Assessment, fire and grazing for fuels management, and/or a recap of the 2024 wildfire season may also come up as time and interest determine. Any other matters that may reasonably come before the SMAC may be included at any time throughout the 2-day meeting.

Public comment periods are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, and 11:15 a.m. on Friday, October 11. Unless otherwise approved by the SMAC chair, the public comment period will last 30 minutes. Speakers may address the SMAC for up to 5 minutes. Full meeting details and the virtual attendance link are available at https://on.doi.gov/2PnZRcl.

The SMAC is a citizen-based advisory group that provides an opportunity for people from all backgrounds and interests to have a voice in the management of America’s public lands.

“This Advisory Council is a forum for people to participate in the land management process,” said Don Rotell, BLM Andrews / Steens Field Office Manager. “If you’re interested in public land decisions for Steens Mountain, this is a great opportunity to listen and share with a collaborative group.” 

The SMAC was established on August 14, 2001, pursuant to the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-399). The group provides recommendations to the BLM regarding new and unique approaches to management of the public lands within the bounds of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area and cooperative programs. They also advise the BLM on potential maintenance and improvement of the ecological and economic integrity of the area.

For more information about the SMAC, please contact Tara Thissell at (541) 573-4519 or tthissell@blm.gov. Additional information about the Steens Mountain Advisory Council is available online at https://on.doi.gov/2PnZRcl

-BLM–

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Links: 

Removing hazardous trees to keep public roads safe
Removing hazardous trees to lessen mega wildfires

Where: Applegate Valley, BLM Medford District, Oregon

Contact: Jeanne Panfely, jpanfely@blm.gov

Medford, Ore. –  Some of the most important work Bureau of Land Management foresters do is the removal of hazardous trees. These dead and dying trees make roads unsafe to travel, fuel larger wildfires, and put firefighters in danger.

By removing them, the BLM keeps local communities safe!

In the linked video (above), the BLM Medford District's Mike Vanderberg, supervisory forester, shares more information on the importance of hazardous tree removal.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in the 11 Western states and Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

Prineville, Ore. — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the City of Redmond’s request to receive land to expand the city’s wastewater treatment facility and associated wetland complex. The city is proposing the expansion to support the projected long-term growth of the community. BLM currently manages the 541.5-acre parcel of public land under the Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan.

The area contains 5 miles of trails designated for Class I and III off-highway vehicles. These trails would be removed from use if the land is conveyed to the city. However, 38 miles of trails would remain within the Steamboat Rock Special Recreation Management Area.  

The City of Redmond submitted a Recreation and Public Purposes Act application to request the acquisition. To implement the transfer, BLM would have to amend that plan. Before making a decision on the transfer, BLM will conduct an assessment of the city’s proposal to disclose potential environmental consequences. Input from the public is a critical part of that assessment.

A 30-day public scoping period starts tomorrow and ends October 18 for the potential Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan amendment. A 45-day public comment starts tomorrow and ends October 18 for the proposal to segregate the 541.5-acre parcel from other forms of appropriation and classify it for conveyance.  

People are invited to provide comments on the proposal during the public scoping and comment periods. Comments will help identify alternatives, refine the proposal, and identify issues.  

Written comments will be accepted at the address below or can be emailed to blm_or_pr_lands@blm.gov. Those interested in submitting a comment over the phone can call Ferris Couture at 541-416-6711.  

Deschutes Field Office  
Lisa M. Clark  
3050 NE Third Street 491 
Prineville, OR 97754  

Project information, including the planning criteria, can be accessed through the BLM's ePlanning website.

For additional information, please contact Ferris Couture, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, at 541-416-6711 or by email at fcouture@blm.gov. 

-BLM- 

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. 

BLM Park Ranger Charles Lindberg heaves a load into the dumpster

La Pine, Ore. — This summer, the Darlene 3 and Jackpine wildfires near La Pine, Oregon, shined a spotlight on the negative effects of long-term overstays and illegal dumping on public lands. In response, local community members approached the Bureau of Land Management with a request: could they organize a group clean-up?

The newly formed Newberry Regional Partnership gathered nearly 60 volunteers and spent a Saturday in August removing hundreds of pounds of garbage from the BLM’s Jackpine Camp, located southwest of La Pine.

The group said they saw how frustrated people were with trash on the lands in their community, and they wanted to offer a way for residents to be part of a solution.

For the BLM, the project was an easy sell—with a big caveat.

The area around Jackpine Camp was well-known as a dumping area, RV chop shop, and place of long-term overstays. The field office was already in the process of putting a contract out to bid on the same area, and they had identified a portion of the area as potentially containing human waste and asbestos.

If the volunteers were willing to stick to the open meadow, have hazmat-trained personnel on site, and provide hand-washing stations, the BLM would be a willing partner.

With that support, the Newberry Regional Partnership coordinated the cleanup with the BLM, the Public Land Stewards, the City of La Pine, Deschutes County, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District. Republic Services, a local trash and recycling company, offered staff and dumpsters for the event, and the La Pine Ace Hardware provided supplies.

"It was a perfect turn of events to partner on this," said Lisa Clark, BLM Deschutes Field Manager. “We were able to make the day more manageable for the fantastic group of volunteers and focus the upcoming contract on the hazardous materials and vehicles.”

In just a few hours, nearly 60 volunteers filled two 30-yard dumpsters, three 20-yard dumpsters, and numerous privately owned trailers with debris. Republic Services provided individual dumpsters for trash, metal, and tires, making disposal easier. The team worked tirelessly to remove hundreds of pounds of garbage, ranging from household trash to clothes to washing machines.

Although a team of yellow jackets decided to emerge and join the event, the watchful members of Public Land Stewards were able to identify the nest location and flag off areas of concern.

The event was topped off with a communal lunch and a sense of accomplishment. Many volunteers expressed their desire to participate in future cleanup initiatives.

“We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in this cleanup,” said Kathy DeBone, Community Coordinator at the Newberry Regional Partnership. “The abandoned Jackpine Camp cleanup serves as a testament to the power of community collaboration and the importance of environmental stewardship.”

To schedule a media interview on this story, please reach out to Lisa Clark at 541-280-9560 or lmclark@blm.gov.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.