BLM is authorized, under the O. and C. Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1181a et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, to divide the lands it manages in western Oregon into sustained-yield forest units. These lands are hereafter referred to as “the O. and C. lands.” BLM establishes units that contain enough forest land to provide, insofar as practicable, a permanent source of raw materials to support local communities and industries, giving due consideration to established forest products operations.

Before BLM designates sustained-yield forest units, it will:

(a) Hold a public hearing in the area where it proposes to designate the units. BLM will provide notice, approved by the BLM Director, to the public of any hearing concerning sustained-yield forest units. This notice must be published once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which the forest units are situated. BLM may also publish the notice in a trade publication; and

(b) Forward the minutes or meeting records to the BLM Director, along with an appropriate recommendation concerning the establishment of the units.

After a public hearing, BLM will publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties affected by the proposed units, stating whether or not the BLM Director has decided to establish the units. If the BLM Director determines that the units should be established, BLM will include in its notice information on the geographical description of the sustained-yield forest units, how the public may review the BLM document that will establish the units, and the date the units will become effective. BLM will publish the notice before the units are established.

Designating new sustained-yield forest units abolishes previous O. and C. master unit or sustained-yield forest unit designations. Until new sustained-yield forest units are designated for the first time in accordance with 43 CFR part 5040, the current master unit designations will continue to be in effect.

(a) If BLM has not established sustained-yield forest units under part 5040, then BLM will determine and declare the annual productive capacity by applying the sustained-yield principle to the O. and C. lands, treating them as a single unit.

(b) If BLM has established sustained-yield forest units under part 5040, then BLM will determine and declare the annual productive capacity by applying the sustained-yield principle to each separate forest unit.

(c) If it occurs that BLM has established sustained-yield forest units for less than all of the O. and C. lands, then BLM will determine and declare the annual productive capacity as follows:

(1) BLM will treat sustained-yield forest units as in paragraph (b) of this section; and

(2) BLM will treat any O. and C. lands not located within sustained-yield forest units as a single unit.