The Bureau of Land Management Coos Bay District will host a listening session to hear from the public about preliminary alternatives for management of BLM lands in western Oregon. The meeting is planned for the following date and location:  Tuesday, March 11, 2014; 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Red Lion Hotel; 1313 N. Bayshore Drive; Coos Bay, OR  97420.  The BLM recently released the Planning Criteria document for the Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon. The Planning Criteria provides an in-depth look at guidance, policy, analytical methodology and preliminary alternatives. This document is the public’s look at how the BLM is proposing to analyze alternatives and move towards land management plans for the Oregon and California lands in western Oregon.  As part of the public comment period for the Planning Criteria document, the BLM is interested in hearing from the public about the preliminary alternatives through interactive discussions in local listening sessions.  The comment period for the Planning Criteria will run until March 31, 2014.  A copy of the Planning Criteria document and online comment tools are available here:  www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon/plandocs.php  Additional information about the upcoming public meetings is available here:  www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon/meetings.php