U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Alaska State Office
Alaska State Office
| Contacts: | Jim Ducker, 907-271-3310 | |||
| Ruth McCoard, 907-271-4418 |
BLM Begins Planning Effort for National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Alaska announced today that it will begin preparation of an Integrated Activity Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).
The new plan will incorporate the most current information and lay out management goals, objectives, and actions that would be consistent across the entire NPR-A. The plan will also take into account emerging issues such as climate change and the recent listing of polar bears as a threatened and endangered species. This planning effort will help identify management actions to mitigate impacts to resources from oil and gas leasing and other activities that may occur in NPR-A in the future.
Through public scoping, BLM is requesting input to the planning process. The public scoping period began July 28, 2010, and will last at least 60 days. A final ending date will be announced on the BLM website.
Public scoping meetings are planned for Anaktuvuk Pass, Anchorage, Atqasuk, Barrow, Fairbanks, Nuiqsut, and Wainwright. Additional public scoping meetings may be held if there is strong community interest. Public scoping meeting dates, times, and locations will be announced through local media and the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov/ak.
Written comments may be submitted at the public scoping meetings, or by regular mail to BLM Anchorage State Office, Attention – NPR-A Planning Team, 222 W. 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513. Comments may also be faxed to (907) 271-5479, or emailed to: NPRAscoping@blm.gov, or submitted online: http://www.blm.gov/ak. Comments must be received before the end of the scoping period to be considered. For information about the plan, contact Jim Ducker by email at, Jim_Ducker@blm.gov, or call him at (907) 271-3130, or visit BLM’s website.
The BLM manages 245 million acres – more land than any other federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including 75 million acres in Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Alaska State Office 222 W. 7th Avenue, #13 Anchorage, AK 99513