U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Safford Field Office
Safford Field Office
| Contacts: | Diane Drobka | , 928-348-4403 | , Diane_Drobka@blm.gov |
Public Invited to Meetings for Aravaipa Plan
Safford, Ariz. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Safford Field Office and their planning partners – Arizona Game and Fish Department and The Nature Conservancy – are soliciting input on the Draft Aravaipa Ecosystem Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA). Four open houses will be held in December to solicit comments and questions on the Draft Plan and EA. Those interested in this special area of southeastern Arizona are encouraged to attend.
Open houses are scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following locations:
Tucson December 7
Arizona Game and Fish Department
555 North Greasewood Road
Winkelman December 8
Central Arizona College, Aravaipa Campus
80440 East Aravaipa Road
Safford December 14
BLM Safford Field Office
711 South 14th Avenue
Klondyke December 15
Klondyke School
Klondyke Road
The comment period has been extended to January 15, 2011. Comments may be submitted by email to SFOWEB_AZ@blm.gov. Please type “Aravaipa Plan Comments” in the subject line of the e-mail.
Written comments may also be sent to the following address:
Draft Aravaipa Ecosystem Management Plan
BLM Safford Field Office
711 South 14th Avenue
Safford, AZ 85546
A link to the Plan, EA, and maps is posted on the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov/az/sfo. The Draft Plan and EA are also available on a CD with four printed maps. Call Logan Simpson Design Inc. at 480-967-1343 or e-mail lnordan@logansimpson.com to request a copy of the CD, maps, or both.
The Draft Aravaipa Ecosystem Management Plan, a collaborative effort between the BLM, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and The Nature Conservancy, outlines goals and objectives for managing diverse resources on approximately 78,000 acres of public and private lands surrounding the BLM’s Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness. Topics in the Draft Plan include access and travel management, water and riparian resources, recreation, wildlife habitat, wilderness, threatened and endangered species, prescribed fire, cultural resources, watershed enhancement, information and education, and public safety.
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.