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Last modified: Saturday, July 29, 2006
Bureau of Land Management: planning processesStatewide Draft Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy The BLM Washington Office is currently accepting public comments on its Draft Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy. More information follows below, and even more is posted on the Web. E-mail comments to SageGrouse_Plan@blm.gov. Note: The BLM has extended the public comment period on this strategy to November 1, 2003. Sage-grouse, once seen in great numbers and a popular game bird with hunters, are known as icons of the western sagebrush landscape. Although these birds once ranged across 11 western states and three provinces in Canada, their populations have decreased by 33 percent over the past four decades. This decline coincides with the loss, degradation and fragmentation of the sagebrush habitats to which they are so closely tied. Over 47 percent of suitable habitat within the historical ranges of the greater and Gunnison sage-grouse has been lost. Today the BLM manages over half of the remaining habitat for these majestic birds. The documents on this Web site provide information on the BLM's efforts to reverse the current population decline through a comprehensive habitat conservation strategy. Multiple petitions to protect both the Greater Sage-Grouse and the Gunnison Sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act have been filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An Endangered Species Act listing of the sage-grouse would have a dramatic effect on BLM activities and authorizations, since the agency administers the largest amount of remaining sage-grouse habitat held by a single entity — approximately half of all that remains. The overall goal of the BLM Strategy is to conserve and improve sage-grouse habitat so population declines on public land may be reversed. This will enable the BLM to successfully meet its multiple use mission and hopefully preclude the need for Endangered Species Act listings. The first phase of the BLM's approach is described in the Draft Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy, which you should review and make comments on by August 20, 2003. The BLM's final national Strategy, scheduled to be released September 30, 2003, will provide consistent Bureau-wide guidance for BLM state offices as they develop and implement state-level habitat conservation strategies for public land they manage. The state-level strategies will be completed by September 30, 2004. The BLM Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy will complement the sage-grouse conservation planning efforts now being led by the states and will not pre-empt state wildlife management authority. If you wish to mail comments, send to: BLM Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy Team, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709-1657. You may also send comments or request more information by e mail at: SageGrouse_Plan@blm.gov Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is currently conducting a Landscape Assessment of the Buckskin Mountain portion of the Monument to evaluate current conditions of vegetation communities and wildlife habitat; develop desired future conditions; and to make recommendations for possible future management actions within the area. The Assessment Team is looking for input from interested parties. — Read more DRAFT EIS on vegetative restoration (for 13 western states) This has been released for public comment (comment period is now expired), and can be accessed at: http://www.blm.gov/weeds/VegEIS/index.htm. A July 2003 Vegetation EIS Update Newsletter can be accessed at the same URL on the Internet. Briefly, the above newsletter describes that up to six million acres would be treated annually using a variety of methods, including prescribed fire, herbicides and biological control agents, and mechanical and manual extraction. As a part of the EIS, the BLM also intends to evaluate the potential risk to humans, fish, and wildlife from several new herbicides that were not evaluated previously and to develop protocols that will enable the BLM to evaluate the risks from using other chemicals that may become available in the future. For more information, please contact Brian Amme, Project Manager, BLM, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, NV 89520-0006. He can be reached by telephone at (775) 861-6645, by fax at (775) 861-6712 or e-mail at brian_amme@blm.gov. BLM local plans About 2 years ago, BLM started to update its entire planning base (i.e., 160 land use plans) and expects it to extend until about 2010. Twenty-one high priority land use plans have been identified as "Time Sensitive Plans" or TSPs because they are related to development of energy resources, respond to nationally significant lawsuits or have legislatively mandated time frames. In Utah, there are three Field Offices (Richfield, Price and Vernal) undertaking the development of Time Sensitive Plans right now, Richfield Resource Management Plan, as well as the Price RMP/EIS, and the Vernal Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). All have requested and have received approval from the Washington BLM Office to extend their current schedules. Richfield Resource Management Plan: Richfield BLM Field Office, 150 E. 900 N., Richfield, UT 84701 Contact: Frank Erickson, Land Use Planner; (435) 896-1532; Fax: (435) 896-1550; e-mail: frank_erickson@ut.blm.gov BLM is developing a new Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Richfield Field Office. The plan will provide future direction for managing over 2.2 million acres of public land in Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne and eastern Garfield Counties in Utah, and the mineral estate under all BLM land and the adjoining National Forests. The purpose of the plan is to establish guidance, objectives, policies, and management actions for public lands administered by the Richfield Field Office. The plan will be comprehensive in nature, and will resolve or address a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to:
As part of the plan preparation, a supporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will also be prepared. Both the RMP and EIS will be developed concurrently with a full range of public participation. An integral component of the Richfield RMP development process is public involvement. Throughout the project, local Interests and residents will have opportunities to participate and share their insights and comments. Price Resource Management Plan: Price BLM Office, 125 S. 600 W., Price, UT 85401; (435) 636-3600 Contact Floyd Johnson at (435) 636-3600; e-mail comments to: comments@pricermp.com The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing a new Resource Management Plan (RMP) for approximately 2.5 million acres of BLM-administered land in central Utah. The new plan, known as the Price Resource Management Plan, will cover the area previously covered by two plans, the Price River Resource Area Management Framework Plan and the San Rafael Resource Management Plan. The purpose of the plan will be to establish guidance, objectives, policies, and management actions for public lands administered by the Price Field Office. The plan will be comprehensive in nature, and will resolve or address a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to:
As part of the plan preparation, a supporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will also be prepared. Both the RMP and EIS will be developed concurrently with a full range of public participation. An integral component of the Price RMP development process is public involvement. Throughout the project, local interests and residents will have opportunities to participate and share their insights and comments. The BLM Web site is your source of information for participating in the planning process. There you will find the latest information on the development of the RMP and EIS, including background documents, maps, meeting announcements, published bulletins, and other documents. BLM RMP for Colorado Canyon NCA As mandated by the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act of 2000 (The Act), the Grand Junction field office and the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area (CCNCA) staff are preparing a Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to guide the management of the CCNCA for the next 10 to 15 years. www.co.blm.gov/cocanplan/cocanplan_plan.htm The Act recognized the historic involvement of the local community in public land management by directing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to incorporate a citizen's Advisory Council as an integral part of this planning process. To facilitate the work of the Advisory Council, the CCNCA was divided into four planning zones. Working Groups have been established for each of the four zones. These Working Groups meet periodically to discuss issues and concerns, as well as to formulate management recommendations that are forwarded to the CCNCA Advisory Council for further discussion. www.co.blm.gov/cocanplan/cocanplan_wrkgrp.htm Of the four zones delineated, the zone that extends into Utah and its representative activities is: For more detail about the Colorado Canyon National Conservation Area, go to: www.co.blm.gov/cocandrmp/cocandrmp_index.htm Vernal Resource Management Plan: Vernal BLM Office, 170 S. 500 E., Vernal, UT 84078; (435) 781-4400 Contact: David Moore, Supervisory Planning Coordinator; (435) 781-4400 or Cathryn Collis, Project Manager, SWCA, 230 S 500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102; (801) 322-4307 The BLM Vernal Field Office is developing a land and resource management plan (RMP) for approximately 1.8 million acres in northeastern Utah. This plan, known as the Vernal Resource Management Plan will combine the existing Diamond Mountain and Book Cliffs RMPs into a single plan. As a part of this project a supporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will also be prepared. The final EIS is due for completion in March 2004. Regionally referred to as the "Uintah Basin," the project area includes all of Duchesne, Daggett and Uintah Counties and a small portion of Grand County. The area is bordered by Wyoming to the north, Colorado to the east, and the Book Cliffs divide to the south. The purpose of the plan is to establish guidance, objectives, policies, and management actions for public lands administered by the Vernal Field Office. The plan will be comprehensive in nature, and will resolve or address a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to:
An integral component of the Vernal RMP development process is public involvement. Throughout the project, local interests and residents will have opportunities to participate and share their insights and comments. As the BLM proceeds with the planning effort, they will announce open houses, publish articles in the local papers, issue mailings, offer tours of the planning area and provide briefings on their progress. Interested individuals or organizations are encouraged to seek more information that may be accessed at http://www.vernalrmp.com. |
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