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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Oregon / Washington

Table Rocks Management Plan

Welcome to the Table Rocks Management Plan. We hope this site will provide you with up-to-date information on the planning process and how you can be involved.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are beginning the analysis process for a Table Rocks Management Plan. The cooperative management plan will consider a variety of habitat enhancement activities to protect sensitive resources and provide a suite of diverse recreational and environmental education uses.

The area being considered is located north of Medford in Townships 35 and 36 South, Range 2 West. The BLM designated 1,280 acres on Upper and Lower Table Rocks as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern in 1984. TNC acquired its first tract of land on Lower Table Rock in 1978, followed by additional land and conservation easement acquisitions on both Upper and Lower Table Rocks. TNC's 2009 acquisition of 1,710 acres adjacent to BLM lands provides an opportunity for a cooperative management approach between the BLM and TNC. The area to be covered by the management plan is approximately 4,870 acres of land located on both Upper and Lower Table Rocks.

The BLM is developing a plan to:

  1. define resource conditions and visitor experiences to be achieved on the Table Rocks;
  2. provide a framework for making decisions about how to best protect and manage the resources;
  3. determine how to provide a diverse range of visitor experience and opportunities;
  4. determine how to manage visitor use;
  5. determine what kinds of facilities, if any, are needed; and
  6. ensure the foundation for decision making has been developed in consultation with interested stakeholders and an adequate analysis of the benefits, impacts, and economic costs of alternative courses of action.

Resources

For more information about the Table Rocks and this project, please view the following resources:

How You Can Be Involved

The BLM will prepare written documentation of the Table Rock Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the public to review. We will also publish the document on this website. We anticipate a 30 day comment period from mid-August to mid-September, with the decision signed by October 1, 2011.

Through June, Southern Oregon University Research Center (SOURCE) is conducting surveys on the trails at Upper and Lower Table Rocks. The researchers will be gathering information from visitors about how they currently enjoy the Table Rocks as well as asking for their suggestions. If you are hiking the Table Rocks and are approached by a researcher, please stop and take this survey.

At this time the BLM would like to hear any comments, issues, and concerns you have that would help shape or further develop the Table Rock Management Plan. Comments clearly expressing site-specific issues or concerns are the most helpful in this process. Comments will be accepted and reviewed up until the time a decision on the project is made.

If you wish to submit a comment or concern or request more information, please contact us at:

Mail or in Person

Medford District Interagency Office
Butte Falls Resource Area
3040 Biddle Road
Medford, OR 97504

Telephone

Butte Falls Resource Area Field Manager
Jon Raby
541-618-2260

Project Lead
Trish Lindaman
541-618-2266

Submit a Comment

We welcome your comments at any time during the planning process. Be advised that your entire comment, including personal identifying information such as name and address, may be made publicly available.