U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Tucson Field Office
Tucson Field Office
| Contacts: | Jim Mahoney 520-439-6400 jmahoney@blm.gov | |||
| Diane Drobka 928-348-4403 ddrobka@blm.gov |
BLM Extends Wilderness Plan Comment Period
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Field Office is pleased to announce that, as a result of input received during its 30-day comment period, there will be a 15-day extension to allow additional comments. The extended public comment period ends Tuesday, October 16.
The 2,065-acre Baboquivari Peak Wilderness and 5,080-acre Coyote Mountains Wilderness are located on public lands southwest of Tucson in Pima County. The four primary objectives of this wilderness management plan are:
- Preserve wilderness values by maintaining or enhancing natural conditions throughout the wilderness areas, including ecosystem structure and function, visual appearances and opportunities for solitude, and primitive and unconfined recreation.
- Protect and preserve natural features associated with cultural and spiritual values.
- Provide for dispersed recreation use and wilderness preservation by maintaining appropriate trailhead signage, trail maintenance, and regular BLM, or other authorized, wilderness patrol.
- Maintain or improve ecological condition of plant communities, while allowing for a range of natural variability.
The Wilderness Management Plan/EA is posted on the BLM website and is also available on CD by calling the BLM at 520-258-7200 or 520-439-6400. Questions can be directed to Mr. Jim Mahoney at 520-439-6400.
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.