BLM Anchorage Field Office
| Contacts: | Molly Cobbs, 907-267-1246, mcobbs@blm.gov |
BLM Releases Haines Planning Area Draft Amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan for Public Comment
ANCHORAGE – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the release of the Ring of Fire Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Haines Planning Area Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a 90-day public review and comment period.
- Whether to retain the Special Recreation Management Area designation;
- Whether any part of the Planning Area meets the criteria for an Area of Critical Environmental Concern designation;
- Whether to retain the Monitoring and Control Area (closed to helicopter landings) for wildlife studies; and
- Establishing a maximum number of authorized annual helicopter landings.
The Planning Area is located in Southeast Alaska. Approximately 320,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands are located in two main blocks or parcels: the north block is located northwest of Skagway along the United States-Canada border and the south block is located southwest of the City of Haines along the boundary of Glacier Bay National Park. The planning area encompasses the cities of Haines and Skagway.
The Draft RMP Amendment / DEIS considers four management alternatives, which are designed to address resource concerns and issues in varying ways.
The public is invited to review and comment on the Draft RMP Amendment / DEIS. Public comments will be most helpful if they relate to specific concerns or conflicts that are within the legal responsibilities of the BLM and can be resolved in this planning process.
The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news releases, and/or mailings.
Copies of the Draft Ring of Fire RMP - Haines Planning Area Amendment and DEIS are available at the Anchorage Field Office at the above address; or, on the Anchorage Field Office’s planning website: http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/planning.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.