Energy and Minerals

Objectives

Maintain exploration and development opportunities for leasable and locatable energy and mineral resources.

Provide opportunities for extraction of saleable minerals by the BLM, other government entities, private industry, individuals, and nonprofit organizations.

Land Use Allocations

See Table R-1 and appendices G, H, and I for energy and mineral allocations. Most BLM-administered lands will remain open to mineral exploration and development. However, various restrictions may apply.

Management Actions/Direction

See Tables 10, 11, and 12 for restrictions on energy and mineral activities, and Appendices G, H, and I for leasing stipulations and operating standards pertinent to locatable and saleable minerals.

Management Actions/Direction - Riparian Reserves

NOTE: The standards and guidelines for minerals management in riparian reserves presented on page C-34/35 of the SEIS ROD are not consistent with BLM regulations. Until regulations are modified, management of locatable minerals within riparian reserves will be governed by regulations found in 43 CFR 3809. The following guidelines consistent with 43 CFR 3809, are modifications of the standards and guidelines presented in the SEIS ROD and apply to any locatable mineral operations requiring a plan of operations and to leasable and saleable mineral operations, where appropriate.

Require a Plan of Operations, including a reclamation plan and reclamation bond for all mining operations in riparian reserves. Such plans and bonds will address the costs of removing facilities, equipment, and materials; recontouring of disturbed areas to an approved topography; isolating and neutralizing or removing toxic or potentially toxic materials; salvaging and replacing topsoil; and revegetating to meet Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives.
Locate structures, support facilities, and roads outside riparian reserves. If no alternative to siting facilities in riparian reserves exists, locate in a way compatible with Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives. Road construction will be kept to the minimum necessary for the approved mineral activity. Roads will be constructed and maintained to meet road management standards and to minimize damage to resources in riparian reserves. When a road is no longer required for mineral or land management activities, it will be reclaimed. In any case, access roads will be constructed consistent with 43 CFR 3809 and acceptable road construction standards and will minimize damage to resources in riparian reserves.
Avoid locating solid and sanitary waste facilities in riparian reserves. If no alternative to locating mine waste (waste rock, spent ore, tailings) facilities in riparian reserves exist, and if releases can be prevented and stability can be ensured:

- Analyze the waste material using the best conventional sampling methods and analytic techniques to determine its chemical and physical stability characteristics.

- Locate and design the waste facilities using best conventional techniques to ensure mass stability and prevent the release of acid or toxic materials. If the best conventional technology is not sufficient to prevent such releases and ensure stability over the long term, prohibit such facilities in riparian reserves.

- Reclaim waste facilities after operations to ensure chemical and physical stability and to meet Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives.

- Monitor waste and waste facilities after operations to ensure chemical and physical stability and to meet Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives.

- Require reclamation bonds adequate to ensure chemical and physical stability and to meet Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives.
Where an existing operator is in noncompliance at the notice level (i.e., causing unnecessary or undue degradation), require actions similar to those stated above to meet the intent of 43 CFR 3809.

Develop inspection and monitoring requirements and include such requirements in exploration and mining plans and in leases or permits consistent with existing laws and regulations. Evaluate the results of inspection and monitoring to determine if modification of plans, leases and permits is needed to eliminate impacts that retard or prevent attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives.

For leasable mineral activity in riparian reserves, prohibit surface occupancy for oil, gas, and geothermal exploration and development activities where leases do not exist. Where possible, adjust the stipulations in existing leases to eliminate impacts that retard or prevent the attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives, consistent with existing lese terms and stipulations.

Allow development of saleable minerals, such as sand and gravel, within riparian reserves only if Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives can be met.

Management Actions/Direction - Late-Successional Reserves

Assess the impacts of ongoing and proposed mining activities in late-successional reserves.

Include stipulations in mineral leases and, when legally possible, require operational constraints for locatable mineral activities to minimize detrimental effects on late-successional habitat.

Management Actions/Direction - All Land Use Allocations

Management Actions/Direction - Leasable Minerals

Standard oil and gas lease stipulations are listed in Section 6 of "Offer to Lease and Lease for Oil and Gas" Form 3100-1.

Special stipulations will be attached to oil and gas leases to provide additional protection for fragile areas or critical resource values. A seasonal restriction could be used to protect critical wildlife habitat or prevent excessive erosion, etc. A controlled-use stipulation could be used to protect valuable resources in very small areas. A no surface occupancy (NSO) stipulation could be used to protect valuable resources spread over a large area while still providing an opportunity for exploration and development. The NSO stipulation will be used within riparian reserves.

Special stipulations for leasable minerals are shown in Appendix G. The special stipulations regarding seasonal restrictions, controlled surface use, and prohibiting surface occupancy could be waived by authorized BLM officials if the objective of the stipulation would be met in another manner or if the resource being protected was no longer present.

Examples of special stipulations include:

leasing designated special areas with a NSO restriction;
leasing in big game winter range with a seasonal restriction; and
leasing of meadows or wetlands with a controlled surface-use restriction.

Tables 10 and 11 illustrate the Federal mineral estate in the planning area on which oil and gas and geothermal activities, respectively, would be restricted.

Management Actions/Direction - Locatable Minerals

Areas not specifically withdrawn from mineral entry will continue to be open under the mining laws. Mineral exploration and development will be regulated under 43 CFR 3802 and 3809 to prevent "unnecessary or undue degradation."

All surface disturbance from operations, whether conducted under a notice or plan of operations, will be reclaimed at the earliest feasible time.

The standards that govern activities conducted under a notice of operations (affecting five acres or less) and those that govern activities under a plan of operations (affecting more than five acres) are shown in Appendix H.

Additional guidelines governing mining activities are discussed below.

All instream placer mining would be closed to suction dredging for the time specified in Oregon Guidelines for "Timing of In-Water Work" to protect fish and wildlife resources. Waivers could be granted by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife;
Mining operations within riparian reserves will be subject to mitigation measures whether conducted under a notice or a plan of operations. Mitigating measures will be developed to prevent degradation of water quality including siltation and water temperature and to comply with Executive Order 11190 (Protection of Wetlands). Road construction, clearing vegetation, hazard tree removal, mining waste disposal, and other surface-disturbing activities that would degrade water quality or riparian/wetland habitat will either be prohibited or require special mitigation. These activities within riparian reserves will be considered unnecessary or undue degradation unless acceptable mitigation measures are approved in advance. Mining activities will conform to best management practices (BMPs) to protect water quality (see Appendix D, and Aquatic Conservation Strategy and Riparian Reserve objectives);
Mining activities within LSRs will be designed to mitigate detrimental effects;
Mining operations will be allowed in designated ACECs but only in a manner that would not impair or degrade those significant resource values that lead to area of critical environmental concern (ACEC) designation. A plan of operations will be required in all designated ACECs. A plan of operations will not be approved if operations would irreparably damage those resource values for which the ACEC was designated;
Mining operations will not be allowed to disturb lands classified fragile nonsuitable woodlands under the timber production capability classification (TPCC) unless adequate mitigation measures are implemented to prevent slope failures, damage to soil productivity, or erosion;
Mining operations in lands classified VRM Class II will maintain the existing visual characteristics of the landscape. Evidence of exploration and development activities will be reclaimed to meet VRM Class II management objectives. All disturbed lands will be graded to near natural contours where practical and revegetated with native plants;
All mining activity employing suction dredges will comply with Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality Permit No. 0700; and
All mining activities discharging waste water will comply with Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality Permit No. 0600.

A number of areas/sites have been proposed to be withdrawn from mineral entry under the mining laws. These areas/sites will also be closed to disposal of saleable minerals and be made available for exploration and development of leasable minerals with NSO stipulation or not at all. Withdrawals from mineral entry would be pursued for the areas/sites discussed below.

All existing withdrawals carried forward are listed in Table 13;
Withdrawals from mineral entry will be pursued for research natural areas (RNAs) to protect the ecosystems being monitored as baseline data;
Rivers or streams eligible for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Systems and proposed for designation as Wild, will be withdrawn from mineral entry to conform with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, upon designation;
A withdrawal from mineral entry will be pursued for that portion of the recreation section of the Rogue River downstream from Yew Wood Creek, not presently withdrawn from mineral entry, to conform with other segments of the designated river section and to conform with the existing management plan;
Mineral withdrawals will be pursued for all sites with significant capital improvements such as administrative sites, reaches of streams with fish improvements, and developed recreation sites following initiation of the investment;
A withdrawal from mineral entry will be pursued for the Jacksonville Trail System. BLM and the city of Jacksonville plan to establish a trail system for recreation purposes. Any mining would impair the trail improvements and scenic values;
A withdrawal from mineral entry will be pursued for Agate Flat, a well-known agate collecting area frequented by rock clubs and collectors, to keep the area open to the public; and
A withdrawal from mineral entry will be pursued for Galice Creek for recreational and cultural values.

Management Actions/Direction - Salable Minerals

Saleable minerals, including common varieties of sand, gravel, rock, and stone, will be made available for local governments, private industry, individuals, and nonprofit organizations consistent with management objectives of other resources and consistent with the requirement that undue or unnecessary degradation be prevented. Most of these needs will be met from community pits located throughout the planning area.

Rock quarries will continue to be used to provide rock for use in construction and maintenance of timber sale access roads and for other purposes. New quarry sites will be developed as needed if they are consistent with the management objectives of other resource values. All quarry development will include development and reclamation plans. Long-term regional quarry use will be emphasized. A districtwide quarry management plan will be developed to address development standards and reclamation goals.

Saleable mineral activities within riparian reserves will occur only if Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives can be met. Activities within LSRs will be designed to mitigate detrimental effects.

Guidelines and restrictions for development of saleable minerals are presented in Appendix I.

Management Actions/Direction - Reserved Federal Mineral Estate

The reserved Federal mineral estate (Federal minerals underlying nonfederal surface) would continue to be open for mineral development in the same manner and degree as adjacent BLM-administered land. Conveyances of mineral interest owned by the United States where the surface is or will be in nonfederal ownership could be made to the existing or proposed owner of the surface estate consistent with FLPMA Section 209(b).