Arizona State Office
| Contacts: | Leah Baker 623-580-5656 lbaker@blm.gov | |||
| Carrie Templin 602-417-9488 c8templi@blm.gov |
BLM Enhances Public Participation in Environmental Planning
PHOENIX – Starting October 1, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona began using ePlanning, an online tool that will give the public greater access to current planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) projects. The ePlanning system is already in use in Nevada and Alaska and will eventually be utilized by all BLM offices.
“We welcome the chance to provide better outreach during the development of environmental assessments and other NEPA processes,” said Deb Rawhouser, BLM Arizona’s new Associate State Director. “The system is user friendly, providing quick access to ongoing actions.”
With internet access, those interested in current projects can easily open and read NEPA documents. Users can search for topics such as livestock grazing, energy, fish and wildlife, recreation, and minerals.
Those interested in BLM projects previously had access to Arizona planning documents through its website, http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/nepa.html. The old NEPA Register will remain online, continuing to link to environmental documents developed prior to the 2013 fiscal year which began in October. The BLM Arizona and Field Office websites now provide an interface between the two systems. It has never been easier for the public to communicate recommendations and preferences to managers who oversee their public lands.
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. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.