GENERAL FACTS
Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project
March 2000
President Clinton initiated the Project in 1993; Chief of the FS and BLM Director chartered the
agencies to develop "scientifically sound, ecosystem-based management strategy" in 1994.
Decisions resulting from this Project will be implemented under three management priorities:
- Protecting Ecosystems
- Restoring Deteriorated Ecosystems
- Providing Multiple Benefits for People within the
Capabilities of Ecosystems
- FS Regional Foresters and BLM State Directors are the decision makers that have line authority to
approve the Project Record of Decision and implementation. Regional executive collaboration with
other agencies ensures smooth, efficient planning and implementation.
Area Affected:
- 144 million acres in the scientific assessment area, including:
- portions of 7 states and 100 counties
- 22 affected tribal governments
- some of the most diverse ecosystems in the
nation
- headwaters of the Columbia River System and parts of
Klamath and Great Basins
- 63 million acres of BLM and National Forest lands (NFS) within the EIS planning area:
- portions of 4 states and 93 counties
- 25 million acres BLM total
- 38 million acres NFS total;
- 20% of all Forest Service administered lands in the
United States
- 9% of all BLM
administered lands in the United States
- 50% of all lands in the interior Columbia River
Basin
- 11.3 million acres of Wilderness and Wilderness
Studies Areas in the project planning area
- 16 million acres of "potentially" roadless
area (1000 acres or larger areas of none/very low road density excluding
congressionally designated wilderness)
- 104,087 miles of streams (1:100,000 scale)
- EIS planning area is subdivided into 12 Resource Advisory Council/Provincial Advisory Committee
(RAC/PAC) areas used to summarize information and to provide a forum for non-federal groups and
individuals to advise and make recommendations to federal land managers.
Administrative Units Affected:
- 62 individual land use plans will be amended by the final Record of Decision
- 32 National Forests and BLM Districts in the planning area:
- 23 National Forests
- 9 BLM Districts
Plan Amendment Expectations:
- Record of Decision will amend existing land-use plans and may amend regional guides, where they
conflict with the new decisions.
- Record of Decision is assumed to be in place for 10 years.