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have is that a lot of the old roads that are out there that need to 

 be closed and put to bed are going to be left opened. 



Mr. Vento. Mr. Penfold, as long as I have got your attention, one 

 of the aspects that you raise — and I think it is important, espe- 

 cially in the OSC lands — was the issue of acquisition and the acqui- 

 sition program to consolidate some land holdings. 



We asked, at times, for loss studies on that particular — the con- 

 solidation of land. But you also raise the points of acquisition in 

 some instances. 



What is the status of the acquisition programs in Oregon and 

 Washington? 



Mr. Penfold. I am going to ask Mr. Kaufman to give you an 

 overview of what we called for in our plans. 



Mr. Vento. Mr. Kaufman, yes. 



Mr. Kaufman. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I am Ron Kaufman, 

 District Manager. 



We in Eugene, right now, are looking at some key areas to do 

 some land exchanges to develop, particularly on our Lake Creek 

 Basin, an approach to improve the anadromous fisheries program. 



In general, we have created plans for lands in western Oregon, 

 one of the areas where management of those lands is made ex- 

 tremely difficult by the checkerboard pattern. Another way of look- 

 ing at it is that by having this pattern we can influence the ecologi- 

 cal health of much greater pieces of real estate in western Oregon. 



So while we are looking at opportunities to do land exchanges 

 and other measures, such as our acquisition of the west Eugene 

 wetlands property, by and large we see, long-term, that the check- 

 erboard pattern will largely stay intact; and our plans that we are 

 creating don't anticipate any major shift in that effort. 



Mr. Vento. Mr. Leonard, do you think the acquisition program 

 that you have in effect would not probably be as ambitious or 

 present the same problems as BLM? Do you want to comment on 

 it? 



Mr. Leonard. We have, certainly, the same kinds of problems in 

 the Bureau of Land Management on many of our National Forests. 

 We have a checkerboard pattern on a lot of the National Forests 

 in the West along the Central Pacific, Southern Pacific, Northern 

 Pacific. 



Mr, Vento. You have a pattern of State's land, too, do you not, 

 in northwestern Oregon? 



Mr. Leonard. That's right. We have a very active land exchange 

 program. And we have been successful in some areas blocking up 

 the public ownerships. We have had a significant program — strong- 

 ly supported by this committee, I will note — for expenditure of land 

 and water conservation money. Much of that has been directed to- 

 ward solving the problems of endangered species habitat. 



Mr. Vento. I was pleased with Mr. Woodard with his BLM state 

 director, I might say, Mr. Leonard, with his programs in terms of 

 riparian areas. But it seems that he had an aggressive program in 

 spite of local concerns about buying the riparian areas. I want to 

 give credit where I can. 



Mr. Leonard. Thank you. I appreciate that. 



Mr. Vento. I see that my colleague from Oregon has arrived. Mr. 

 DeFazio. 



