Medford Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan
Medford District Resource Management Plan Table of Contents:
- Tables
- Maps
Rural Interface Areas
Objectives
Consider the interests of adjacent and nearby rural residential land owners during analysis, planning and monitoring activities occurring within managed rural interface areas (RIAs). These interests include personal health and safety, improvements to property, and quality of life. Determine how land owners might be or are affected by activities on BLM-administered lands.
Land Use Allocations
Managed rural interface areas encompass approximately 136,000 acres of BLM-administered land within one-quarter mile of private lands zoned for 1-5 acre or 5-20 acre lots located throughout the Medford District (see Map 13 for locations).
Management Actions/Direction
Work with local governments to improve management of activities within RIA.
As a part of watershed analysis and project planning, work with local individuals and groups including fire protection districts to identify and address concerns related to possible impacts of proposed management activities on rural interface areas.
Use design features and mitigation measures to avoid/minimize impacts to health, life and property, and quality of life. Examples include different harvest regimes, hand application rather than aerial application of herbicides and pesticides, and hand piling slash for burning as opposed to broadcast burning. Monitor the effectiveness of design features and mitigation measures.
Eliminate or mitigate public hazards such as abandoned mine tunnels and quarries.
Manage rural interface areas using visual resource management Class III standards (unless an area is otherwise classified as visual resource management Class I or II).
Manage and design road systems to reduce public health and safety hazards, fire risks, and vandalism to public and private property. Of particular concern is unauthorized public use of nonthrough or "local" roads within rural interface areas and within one-quarter mile of existing dwellings. Gates and other types of traffic barriers such as guardrails, berms, ditches, and log barricades will be used as appropriate.
Use dust abatement measures on roads during BLM timber harvest operations or other BLM commodity hauling. Encourage and enforce the use of dust abatement measures when haulers use BLM roads under permits and rights-of-way agreements.
Reduce natural fuel hazards on BLM-administered lands in rural interface areas.
Protect resources on BLM-administered land from potential wildfires originating on adjacent private land by using prescribed fire to reduce fuel hazards. The use of low intensity underburning is the preferred technique.
