Officials with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are seeking public input on ways to update and revise the Management Plan for the South Fork of the Walla Walla (SFWW) Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
Open house meetings are planned for 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, November 3, at Walla Walla Community College Water & Environmental Center, 640 Water Center, Walla Walla, WA, and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, November 6, at Milton-Freewater Public Library, 8 SW 8th Ave, Milton-Freewater, OR. There will be no formal presentation, however, specialists will be available to share information, answer questions, and receive comments.
Located along the river east of Milton-Freewater, this approximately 2,000 acres of public land was designated as an ACEC in 1992 to protect fish, wildlife, riparian, and scenic values. Changes in environmental conditions due to increased recreational use, additional threatened or endangered species, and repeated flood events warrant new analysis. The BLM is preparing an Environmental Assessment and welcomes public comment on the future management of this important and treasured area.
In February of 2020, the area experienced significant regional flooding which resulted in extensive floodplain erosion as well as landslides within the ACEC. As a result of this flood event, significant portions of the trail through BLM managed land to the US Forest Service (USFS) trail network in the Umatilla National Forest, as well as the access roads were completely washed out.
"The flood event has given us the opportunity to re-evaluate the management of this area for the benefit of the greater public and natural resource needs, and we need your help," said Joseph Aragon, Baker Field Manager.
Comments will be accepted Monday, Oct. 24, through 4:30 p.m. PT Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, and can be submitted by emailing them to BLM_OR_VL_SFWW_ACEC_EA@blm.gov or mailing written comments to BLM Baker Field Office, Attn: Sandra Tennyson, 3100 H Street, Baker City, OR 97814. You may also ask to be added to the mailing list for project updates using either of these methods.
To learn more about the project, go to https://www.blm.gov/visit/south-fork-walla-walla-river-acec. To view planning documents and learn more about the EA process, visit the ePlanning site: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/home.
Original source can be found here.
