The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the City of Redmond’s request to receive land to expand the city’s wastewater treatment facility and associated wetland complex. The city is proposing the expansion to support the projected long-term growth of the community. BLM currently manages the 541.5-acre parcel of public land under the Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan.
The area contains 5 miles of trails designated for Class I and III off-highway vehicles. These trails would be removed from use if the land is conveyed to the city. However, 38 miles of trails would remain within the Steamboat Rock Special Recreation Management Area.
The City of Redmond submitted a Recreation and Public Purposes Act application to request the acquisition. To implement the transfer, BLM would have to amend that plan. Before making a decision on the transfer, BLM will conduct an assessment of the city’s proposal to disclose potential environmental consequences. Input from the public is a critical part of that assessment.
A 30-day public scoping period starts tomorrow and ends October 18 for the potential Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan amendment. A 45-day public comment starts tomorrow and ends October 18 for the proposal to segregate the 541.5-acre parcel from other forms of appropriation and classify it for conveyance.
People are invited to provide comments on the proposal during the public scoping and comment periods. Comments will help identify alternatives, refine the proposal, and identify issues.
Written comments will be accepted at the address below or can be emailed to blm_or_pr_lands@blm.gov. Those interested in submitting a comment over the phone can call Ferris Couture at 541-416-6711.
Deschutes Field Office
Lisa M. Clark
3050 NE Third Street 491
Prineville, OR 97754
Project information, including the planning criteria, can be accessed through the BLM’s ePlanning website.
For additional information, please contact Ferris Couture, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, at 541-416-6711 or by email at fcouture@blm.gov.