Arizon BLM Release Draft RMP/EIS for Public Review

[HummBebe]

Comments needed....deadline March 15th.

Action Alert: Arizon BLM Release Draft RMP/EIS for Public Review
Date: February 02, 2007

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BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!


Southwest Arizona and Southeast California Draft Land Use Plans Available for Public Review and Comment, Public Comment Meetings Set for February



The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for nearly 1.3 million acres along the lower Colorado River in southwest Arizona and southeast California for public review and comment.

The plans affect lands managed by the BLM's Yuma Field Office. The planning area is located in Yuma, portions of La Paz, and portions of Maricopa Counties in Arizona; and portions of both Imperial and Riverside Counties in California.

An RMP can be compared to a county master plan where management direction and objectives are defined for specific resources and areas. They address issues including livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat, off-highway vehicle use, camping and even energy and mineral development. The document contains a preferred alternative as well as a range of other management alternatives. Each draft plan includes a draft EIS which analyzes the environmental effects of each planning alternative.

The DRMP/DEIS presents a total of five alternatives which takes into consideration comments received by other governmental agencies, public organizations, state, tribal entities, and interested individuals. Public collaboration through the scoping process led to shaping of issues covering recreation, wildlife, minerals, cultural resources, grazing, land tenure, designation of areas of critical environmental concern (ACEC), access to public lands, and other topics. The DRMP/DEIS analyzes alternatives to resolve management issues, determines management objectives and actions, and establishes monitoring methods to facilitate multiple use and sustained yield management for the entire planning area.

Your comments and suggestions are critical at this stage in the new RMP development. The BLM will accept public comments until March 15, 2007. BLM will need to know what part of the preferred alternative you support and what part you oppose. Also, BLM needs to know what parts of the other alternatives should be included in the final plan, and which parts of the other alternatives should NOT be in the final plan.

The documents are available at http://www.blm.gov/az/LUP/yuma/drmp.htm. Printed or compact disc copies are also available by contacting RMP Team Lead Micki Bailey at BLM Yuma Field Office, 2555 East Gila Ridge Road, Yuma, AZ 85365, by calling BLM at 928-317-3200, or by e-mail at AZ_YM_RMP@blm.gov. Please specify preferred media type.

The BLM will hold public meetings to enable anyone interested to get more information about the plans and to provide comments. Meeting dates, times and locations are listed below.

Monday, February 5, 2007 Wellton Elementary School Gym 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
29126 E. San Jose Ave.
Wellton, AZ

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 Quartzsite Senior Center 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
40 S Moon Mountain Avenue
Quartzsite, AZ

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 Blythe Community Center 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
445 N. Broadway
Blythe, AZ

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 Yuma Civic Center 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
1449 W. Desert Hills Dr.
Yuma, AZ

Thursday, February 8, 2007 Pima County Natural Resources 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Parks & Recreation
3500 W River Road
Tucson, Az

Thanks in advance for your support,
Brian Hawthorne
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102