A map in from the Vale district Bureau of Land Management highlights the newly designated wilderness lands in green. (Submitted)
VALE — The Vale district Bureau of Land Management continues taking public comments on its plan to manage southeast Oregon lands, providing an opportunity for citizens to have their say about updates.
The agency has five options and its preference is to relax the requirements about maintaining lands with wilderness characteristics.
None of the alternatives would affect the cattle grazing on BLM land or the public’s access to recreation areas.
The amendment process started when the Oregon Natural Desert Association in 2003 sued the BLM Vale District over its 2002 resource management plan. The suit claimed that the bureau had not maintained an inventory of lands with wilderness characteristics as is required by the National Environmental . . .
