Spectacled and Steller's eiders, both recently added to the list of threatened and endangered species, are among the birds using the area. The area also provides fish for local residents. The Colville River valley is the other particularly important portion of the planning area. The BLM wanted the public's thoughts on all the options offered in the draft document before it selected a specific plan. Comments received during the public comment period were considered in development of the Preferred Alternative.
Some elements are common to several alternatives.
Stipulations would be imposed on authorized activities under all of the alternatives. These stipulations are designed to protect surface resources and subsistence uses. The stipulations that apply to Alternative A are ones that historically have been applied to permits for seismic or other activities not related to oil and gas. These stipulations also apply to alternatives B through E. Alternatives B through E make progressively more lands available for oil and gas leasing. Consequently, stipulations are added to the alternatives to mitigate impacts from the increasingly larger area and numbers and kinds of resources potentially impacted by development.