St. George, Utah – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is issuing a Notice of Intent to begin preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address potential effects of the proposed withdrawal of Federal lands from locatable mineral exploration and mining near the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Nearly one million acres of Federal lands managed by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service were recently segregated by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar for two years from location of any new mining claims, while they are being evaluated for withdrawal for up to 20 additional years. 

The BLM will be the lead agency, working in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service to prepare the EIS used to support a final decision on the withdrawal. The EIS will disclose the potential impacts that the proposed action would have on the human environment and natural and cultural resources. In addition to analyzing the potential impacts, the EIS will also identify alternatives to the proposed withdrawal.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, this process includes participation by the public, tribes, environmental groups, industry, state and local government, and other stakeholders. A notice published in today’s Federal Register initiates a 60-day public comment period. A public scoping meeting is being scheduled to take place on September 30, 2009, in Fredonia, Arizona. A second meeting will also be held in Flagstaff, Arizona, on October 15, 2009. Comments may also be mailed to Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Strip District, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790, by sending an email to azasminerals@blm.gov. 

Information can be found on http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en.html or by calling (435) 688-3200.