The Planning Area

The BLM-administered lands in the Klamath Falls Resource Area are located in southern Klamath County, on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range (see Map 1 in the map packet). For purposes of this document the planning area and the resource area are equivalent, although planning decisions pertain only to BLM-administered lands in the planning area.

The public land acquired at the mouth of the Wood River is not included in this document. A separate Resource Management Plan is being developed for the Wood River property. This Upper Klamath Basin Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement was released for public review in March 1994, and a Final Resource Management Plan for the Wood River property will be completed in 1995.

In addition to the 212,000 BLM-administered surface acres, there are 21,000 acres of non-federally-owned surface land underlain by subsurface federal mineral estate within the planning area that are also administered by the BLM. In these areas, the Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement only addresses the minerals, not the non-BLM- administered surface over those minerals. The lands west of Highway 97, referred to in this document as the west side, are primarily revested Oregon and California grant lands (46,000 acres of Oregon and California land out of a total of 51,000 acres of BLM-administered lands on the west side). The lands east of Highway 97, referred to in this document as the east side, are known as public domain lands (161,000 acres). The definition of east and west side lands is slightly different than this for purposes of discussion and analysis in the timber section. Map 2 shows the general land status within the planning area. Other major federal lands within the planning area include portions of the Rogue River, Fremont, and Winema National Forests and the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge.

Briefly listed below are some of the distinctive features that characterize the Klamath Falls Resource Area. The Klamath Falls Resource Area lies within the geographic area called the Klamath Basin. Water in the planning area drains into the upper Klamath River and the Lost River drainage. The west side is predominantly a mixed conifer species consisting of ponderosa pine, white fir, Shasta red fir, sugar pine, western white pine, and Douglas fir. The east side is partially forested with ponderosa pine. The remaining east side lands are juniper woodlands and range lands. The major population is centered in and around the City of Klamath Falls.