Klamath Falls Record of Decision: Recreation

Recreation

Objectives

Provide a wide range of developed and dispersed recreation opportunities that contribute to meeting projected recreation demand within the planning area.

Manage scenic, natural and cultural resources to enhance visitor recreation experience expectations and satisfy public land users.

Support locally-sponsored tourism initiatives and community economic strategies by providing recreation projects and programs that benefit both short- and long-term implementation. Continue participation in multi-agency recreation program (public and private) to coordinate and promote recreational development and tourism.

Manage off-highway vehicle use on BLM-administered land to protect natural resources, provide visitor safety, and minimize conflicts among various users.

Enhance recreation opportunities provided by existing and proposed watchable wildlife areas and national back country byways.

Continue to provide non-motorized recreation opportunities and create additional opportunities where consistent with other management objectives.

Manage special and extensive recreation management areas in a manner consistent with the BLM's Recreation 2000 Implementation Plan and Oregon-Washington Public Lands Recreation initiative.

Continue to provide barrier free or universally accessible recreation facilities and trails as they are constructed or reconstructed.

Land Use Allocations

See Table 5 for allocations.

See Map 7 for locations.

Mountain area, Stukel Mountain area, Swan Lake Rim, and in the Gerber Block area (Miller Creek and Pothole); development of overnight camping or day-use facilities (hang gliding, target shooting) in the Stukel Mountain area, Hamaker Mountain area, Spencer Creek area, Bryant Mountain area, Gerber Block area; and development of interpretive sites, brochures, and facilities for wildlife, historic or cultural sites, or other natural resources in the Klamath River Complex Special Recreation Management Area, Surveyor Recreation Site, and Gerber Block area. Provide portal and interpretive signs along major public routes. See Table 1 in Appendix B for recreation sites, trails, and off-highway vehicle closures. Cooperate with local user groups to provide for coordinated recreation planning, maintenance of facilities, and acquisition of recreation funding.

Manage recreation areas to minimize disturbance to a number of fungus and lichen species known to occur within these areas. Follow survey and manage actions/direction as stated in the introduction to Land Use Allocations and Resource Programs.

Management Actions/Direction

General

Enhance travel and recreation management through an increased emphasis on interpretive and informational signs and maps. Develop a resource area recreation guide and travel map for public distribution. Identity on information handouts and bulletins, all major travel routes within the resource area. These actions will support state and local strategies to encourage tourism.

Provide additional informational, educational and recreational opportunities to enhance visitors' experiences, and increase their knowledge of the use and protection of natural resources, the BLM's land management role, and the responsibility of visitors to public lands. Examples of opportunities could include development of nature of multipurpose trails in the Klamath River Complex Special Recreation Management Area, Surveyor recreation site (Johnson Creek), Spencer Creek area, Hamaker Mountain area, Bryant

In addition to the guidelines for late-successional and Riparian Reserves, manage recreation resources in accordance with the guidelines described below.

Recreation Sites and Trails

Continue to operate and maintain fifteen developed and semi-developed recreation sites and four developed trails as listed below:

Developed Trails

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Miller Creek dam trail
Pederson snowmobile trail
Klamath River edge trail

Designate developed recreation sites as fire suppression areas (intensive) and fire fuels management areas. These designations will reduce fire hazards and protect investments. Restrictions on fire suppression equipment and activities or minimum impact methods will be required in the following recreation sites and areas: Surveyor Recreation site and associated old growth areas, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Spencer Creek, Tunnel Creek Wetlands/old growth area, Topsy Recreation site, Klamath River Canyon, Gerber Recreation site, and Miller Creek Canyon.

Manage timber within developed recreation sites for purposes of removing or topping hazard trees, providing space for additional facilities and activity areas and providing desired regeneration of the forest canopy.

In addition to the 15 developed and semi-developed sites, maintain potential for recreation development in the 35 other sites and 18 other trail locations. Develop potential sites and trails as funding and/or recreation partnerships becomes available and if development is consistent with other land use objectives and allocations. Maintain or protect the recreation objectives for development of potential sites and trails by using and/or modifying the silvicultural treatments and harvest designs discussed in the Timber Section. Identify site and trail objectives and issues during watershed analysis or other activity level planning.

Pursue mineral withdrawals for existing developed recreation sites and for proposed recreation sites when development is approved.

Special Recreation Management Areas

Address special recreation management area issues and prioritize projects in watershed analyses. Prepare project plans as needed. Designated special recreation management areas are described below.

Continue to manage and maintain the following existing special recreation management areas will.

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Special Recreation Management Area - ¹¦₂-mile long in the Klamath Falls Resource Area, for hiking and horseback non-motorized use. Maintenance for the Klamath Falls Resource Area section of the trail will continue to be coordinated by the Medford District BLM. Management of the trail will continue to follow the existing Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Comprehensive Plan. Development of a special recreation management area plan (for both Medford and Lakeview sections of the trail) to be coordinated by Medford District.
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail special recreation management area will receive a new 50-foot wide no timber harvest buffer on either side of the trail and scenic ¹¦₄-mile corridor (Visual Resource Management Class II management, see the Visual Resources Section) on either side of the trail. Mineral leasing subject to no surface occupancy.
Klamath River Complex Special Recreation Management Area - 7,460 acres will continue to be managed for semi-primitive motorized recreation objectives. Manage the special recreation management area to emphasize whitewater boating, fishing, and camping along the upper Klamath River. Improve and expand stateline take-out. Improve scouting trails for the Caldera and Hell's Corner rapids. Manage and maintain Topsy recreation site with camping units for overnight and day use visitors; boat ramp; the rafting put-in, and several primitive camping sites along the Klamath River. Continue to follow the cooperative management agreement with the Pacific Power and Light Company for coordinated recreation trail and facility development. Nominate for designation Topsy Road to the National Back Country Byway System. Maintain the Klamath River edge trail for non-motorized use.
Evaluate and update the Klamath River Complex Special Recreation Management Area recreation area management plan. Provide fire-safe, approved, and developed group campsites. Improve and provide barrier-free access at the Topsy recreation site and BLM campground in the Klamath Canyon. Pursue development of a cooperative management agreement with Klamath and Siskiyou counties to provide minimum annual maintenance on the Topsy Road. Pursue the development of additional nature or multipurpose trails and an interpretive facility at the powerhouse site.

Manage the following areas as new Special Recreation Management Areas:

Hamaker Mountain. Manage Hamaker Mountain Special Recreation Management Area for Roaded Natural recreation opportunities. Design timber management and other activities to enhance future trail and site development, with an emphasis on winter sports and mountain biking. Examples of timber management activities that would enhance recreation would include the development of cleared trails suitable for downhill or cross country skiing. Trails would be replanted with vegetation to benefit wildlife and would be unavailable for future timber harvest. The identification and resolving of specific recreation management issues and prioritization of projects (developed parking areas, designated trails, etc.) will occur during watershed analysis or recreation area planning. Establish a BLM patrol during winter months to provide visitor assistance on Hamaker Mountain.
Stukel Mountain. Manage the Stukel Mountain Special Recreation Management Area for semi-primitive motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities. The identification and resolving of specific recreation management issues and prioritization of projects (designated off-highway vehicle trails, ease of public access, developed recreation sites, etc.) will occur during watershed analysis or recreation area planning. Improve main road access. Consider development of hang gliding and other facilities for day use and overnight camping.

Extensive Recreation Management Areas

Address extensive recreation management area issues and prioritize projects in watershed analyses. Prepare project plans as needed. The following recreation strategies are proposed in the extensive recreation management areas.

Designate the majority of BLM-administered lands in the Klamath Falls Resource Area as an extensive recreation management area. Consistent with BLM's nationwide Recreation 2000 plan, manage lands for a diversity of resources. These lands will continue to be available for dispersed recreation activities, including hunting, fishing, sight-seeing, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and hiking when consistent with other resource objectives. Emphasize vehicle-accessible opportunities close to population centers. Open all BLM-administered lands to recreational mineral collection (casual use) unless the area is subject to prior rights, such as mining claims. Maintain and manage the following existing recreation facilities or areas (some in partnership with other agencies or groups) as indicated.
Gerber Block - Continue to manage Gerber Recreation site with camping units to accommodate overnight, day use, and mobility impaired visitors; frog camp day use area; and boat ramps. Manage several nearby semi-developed camp sites to provide primitive camping and day use. Manage and maintain the Gerber Watchable Wildlife area tour. In addition, develop or enhance watchable wildlife and other interpretive sites to showcase resource management. Manage area for roaded natural and semi-primitive recreation opportunities.
Miller Creek Trail - Maintain ¹¦₄-mile long, for hiking and horseback use, for semi-primitive non-motorized use. Pursue development of additional trail along Miller Creek canyon.
Surveyor Recreation Site - Manage camping units to accommodate overnight, day use and mobility impaired visitors; Develop informational, educational, and recreational trails to highlight old growth education areas and riparian-wetland ecosystems. Pursue development of the Old Baldy trail linking the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail with Surveyor Recreation site. Manage the area for semi-primitive recreation opportunities.
Pederson Snowmobile Trail - 11 mile groomed snowmobile trail connecting with Hyatt Lake of the Wood snowmobile trail. Pursue development of an additional 30 miles of connecting snowmobile trails and sno park at Clover Creek day use area.
In the Spencer Creek area, pursue legal access for a barrier-free fishing and hiking trail. Manage the creek for non-motorized use. Resource management will highlight public education about the coordinated resource management plan, the role of fire in ecosystem processes, illegal wood cutting, and other resource activities. Some potential recreation developments include the Clover Creek day use parking area, walk-in campsites along Spencer Creek, and an off-highway vehicle use area in an abandoned rock quarry near Clover Creek.
In the Swan Lake Rim area, pursue legal access for a non-motorized trail along the rim. Manage the area for non-motorized use. Provide a trail access/day use area in conjunction with the Oregon, California, and Eastern Rail-Trail, near Dairy, Oregon. Coordinate Swan Lake Rim trail planning with the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Parks, and others in accordance with an existing Memorandum of Understanding on the management of the Oregon, California, and Eastern Rail-Trail.
In the Bryant Mountain area, manage the area for semi-primitive motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities. Pursue development of semi-primitive camping sites at Harpold, Captain Jack, and Smith Reservoirs. Pursue development of non-motorized and designated off-highway vehicle trails.
In the Gerber Block area, Bryant Mountain, and other areas, the identification and resolving of specific recreation management issues and prioritization of projects will occur during watershed analysis.
As opportunities arise, obtain easements and/or land through exchange or other mutual agreements to enhance future recreation management and opportunities. Swan Lake Rim; and Hamaker, Stukel, Bryant, and Hogback mountain areas are among the areas that will be considered for this action.

Off-Highway Vehicles

Designate the majority of BLM-administered land limited to off-highway vehicle use. The use of off-highway vehicles on BLM-administered lands will be regulated in accordance with the authority and requirements of Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 and regulations contained in 43 Code of Federal Regulations 8340. They require that off-highway vehicle use not cause significant adverse effects to resource values, conflicts between visitors be minimized, public hazards be identified, and public safety be promoted. Some of the existing off-highway vehicle designations will remain unchanged from current management. Areas are designated as open, closed, or limited for off-highway vehicles use (see Glossary for definitions). Off-highway vehicle closed and limited areas would remain open to non-motorized recreation use. See Map 8 for more detail.

The following areas will remain closed to off-highway vehicle use:

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail - 3 acres; and
Lower Klamath Hills Wildlife area - 1,340 acres.

In addition the following areas will receive new road closures to off-highway vehicles:

Spencer Creek;
Miller Creek area of critical environmental concern;
Old Baldy Research Natural Area;
Areas where water quality is being adversely affected; areas where soil erosion or other significant resource damage is occurring (for example, an area receiving off-highway vehicle use affecting threatened or endangered species could be closed to off-highway vehicles). These areas will be identified and any recreation issues resolved during watershed analysis or other activity level planning; and
Progeny test sites.

Off-highway vehicle use will be limited to designated roads and trails in the following sites/areas:

Klamath River Canyon area of critical environmental concern;
Surveyor Mountain area (including Surveyor Recreation site); and
Stukel Mountain area.

Off-highway vehicle use will be limited to existing roads and trails in the following sites/areas:

Mountain Lakes Wilderness Study Area (an unchanged designation);
Yainax Butte area of critical environmental concern;
Swan Lake Rim;
Bryant Mountain;
Gerber Block (including the Gerber recreation site);
lands south of Highway 66, outside of the Klamath River Canyon area of critical environmental concern;
Topsy recreation site; and
Bly Mountain area.

Seasonal off-highway vehicle use limitations will continue in the following areas:

Pokegama Wildlife Area (November 20 to April 1); and
Klamath Deer Winter Range area (November 1 to April 15).

Seasonal off-highway vehicle use limitations will be added to the following areas:

Bryant Mountain (November 1 to April 15)
Stukel Mountain (November 1 to April 15)
Gerber Block (November 1 to April 15)

Enhance off-highway vehicle use of the following areas:

Stukel Mountain;
Bryant Mountain;
Chase Mountain potential off-highway vehicle trail; and
Clover Creek Potential off-highway vehicle trail.

Some possible enhancement measures include easements and/or land will be obtained through exchange or other mutual agreements to enhance future recreation management and opportunities; better informational signing, maps, and patrols; identification of roads needed for primary access and roads for maintaining off-highway vehicle opportunities; minimizing the upgrading of off-highway vehicle roads and trails to areas such as stream crossings and areas receiving active erosion; specific enhancement measures will be addressed in watershed analysis and subsequent project plans. Opportunities to enter into adopt-a-trail agreements with local user groups and the use of Oregon Department of Transportation All-Terrain Vehicle gasoline tax account funds will be pursued.

Back Country Byways

Nominate for designation and facilitate the use of two new National Back Country Byways. Develop interpretive signs, vehicle parking areas, interpretive brochures, etc. for the following potential Back Country Byways (see Map 9 for location of proposed trails and byways).

Topsy Road Back Country Byway; and
Gerber Area Watchable Wildlife Tour/Modoc Trail Back Country Byway.

Coordinate management of Back Country Byways with county governments, chambers of commerce, regional tourism alliances, U.S. Forest Service, and interested private parties.

Riparian Reserves

Design new recreational facilities within Riparian Reserves, including trails and dispersed sites, so as not to prevent meeting Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. Construction of these facilities should not prevent future attainment of these objectives. For existing recreation facilities within Riparian Reserves, evaluate and mitigate impacts to ensure that these do not prevent, and to the extent practicable contribute to, attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives.

Adjust dispersed and developed recreation practices that retard or prevent attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. Where adjustment measures such as education, use limitations, traffic control devices, increased maintenance, relocation of facilities, and/or specific site closures are not effective, eliminate the practice or occupancy.

Late-Successional/District Designated Reserves

Retain and maintain existing recreation developments consistent with other management actions/direction for Late-Successional Reserves.

Use adjustment measures, such as education, use limitations, traffic control devices, or increased maintenance, when dispersed or developed recreation practices retard or prevent attainment of Late-Successional Reserve objectives.

Neither construct nor authorize new facilities that may adversely affect Late-Successional Reserves.

Review on a case-by-case basis new recreation development proposals. They may be approved when adverse effects can be minimized and mitigated.

Locate new recreation developments to avoid degradation of habitat and adverse effects on identified late-successional species.

Remove hazard trees along trails and in developed recreation areas.