FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

MEMORANDUM

TO: The "Marysville Mob"

FROM: Jim Lyons

SUBJ: Draft agreement

DATE: May 2, 1997

As I committed to you at the end of our meeting in Marysville, I have attempted to capture the proposal that I laid on the table and to summarize our discussions in order to resolve remaining differences among the group. AS we disused, this proposal seeks a remedy in the context of FY 1998 Interior Appropriations bill, but does not preclude the QLG from moving forward with legislation a year from now if progress in implementing the program we discussed is inadequate or unsatisfactory. The attached "areas of agreement" document seeks to identify those resource management objectives and associated guidelines that the group seemed to agree to and attempts to spell out how we would proceed -- as a group -- under this agreement.

PLEASE REVIEW THE DOCUMENT FOR ACCURACY AND CONSISTENCY WITH OUR DISCUSSIONS.

PLEASE GET YOUR COMMENTS BACK TO ME BY COB (MY TIME) WEDNESDAY, MAY 6th, SO I CAN DETERMINE WHERE WE ARE.

Thanks, again, for your patience and perseverance.

I will get back to each of you no later than Monday, May 13th with what I hope might be a final version of whatever we agree to.

Attachment

AREAS OF AGREEMENT
Marysville, California
May 1, 1997

The parties agree to support additional funds in FY 1998 Interior Appropriations bill in the amount of $____ annually through FY 2000 to implement a three year program on the Lassen, Plumas, and Sierraville Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest consistent with the program outlined in the Quincy Library Group document of 1994 (?), in accordance with the following principles:

1. All activities implemented in accordance with the QLG program and this agreement will comply with all applicable existing law.
2. All activities will be consistent with CASPO interim guidelines and forest plan standards and guidelines unless and superseded by plan amendments or revisions or further guidelines resulting from scientific review of the CASPO guidelines.
3. Projects shall respect the land allocations provided for in the QLG document and will not occur in off-base or deferred areas or riparian zones.
4. The Forest Service will seek to achieve 40,000 - 60,000 acres of strategic thinnings to improve forest ecosystem health in a manner consistent with the QLG concept and in accordance with CASPO guidelines.
5. The Forest Service will develop and implement a strategy for group selection harvesting in accordance with the QLG program where consistent with CASPO guidelines and in accordance with NEPA procedures.
6. The program of work provided for by this agreement is to be developed and implemented with full public involvement.
7. Funds for the above activities are to be in addition to funds for the base programs of the Lassen, Plumas, and Sierraville Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest and are not to be taken from funds provided to other forests in Region 5.
8. The Lassen and Plumas National Forests are to immediately implement procedures to amend or revise their forest plans as appropriate. Amendment or revision of the appropriate portions of the Sierraville District forest plan shall be conducted as a part of the revision of the Plumas NF plan;
9. A scientifically-designed monitoring plan for this program shall be developed and implemented with citizen participation in the on-the-ground monitoring and evaluations; and
10. A program of work to improve watershed health shall also be designed, implemented, and evaluated as a part of the three-year program provided for in this agreement.

Report language shall be included in this report to accompany the FY 1998 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to guide implementation of this three-year program consistent with the above principles.

All parties shall work to secure the funding and accompanying report language provided for in this agreement.

Provided that such funding is made available in FY 1998, the parties agree to meet again on May 17, 1998 in Marysville, California to evaluate Forest Service performance in accordance with this agreement and to determine if this agency has made sufficient progress to seek funding for the second year of the three-year program. Should the parties determine that agency progress is inadequate at that time, or that the progress are insufficient to warrant continuation of the program provided for in this agreement, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, will work with the QLG to seek enactment of said legislation.

The undersigned agree to work together, in accordance with this agreement, and to continue their discussions regarding future management of the Lassen, Plumas, and Sierraville Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest.