For Immediate Release: October 23, 2003
Contact: Doran Sanchez (909) 697-5220 or Melissa Bristow (760) 251-4800

SANTA ROSA AND SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS NATIONAL MONUMENT PLAN RELEASED

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service (FS) announce the availability of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Proposed Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The plan is a joint effort by the BLM and FS in cooperation with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Mount San Jacinto State Park, Riverside County, and other local jurisdictions. Public involvement was actively sought through public meetings held throughout the planning process.

The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000, approved on October 24, 2000, required the development of a national monument plan within three years.

The plan sets forth the alternatives selected for managing the BLM and FS lands within the monument and the strategies to be adopted to protect and preserve the biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational and scientific values represented within the National Monument boundaries.

Copies of the document are available at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office located at 690 West Garnet Avenue, North Palm Springs, CA 92258, (760) 251-4800. This document is also available on BLM's web site at http://www.ca.blm.gov/palmsprings/santarosa/management_plan.html.

BLM regulations provide for an official protest period on the proposed plan, which begins Oct. 31, 2003, with publication of the availability of the EIS in the Federal Register. Written protests will be accepted if received by Dec. 1, 2003. Protests must be submitted to BLM Director (210), attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, D.C., 20035 (regular mail) or Director (210), attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, N.W., Suite 1075, Washington, D.C. 20036 (overnight mail). Although not a requirement, BLM recommends that the protest be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested.

E-mail and faxed protests will be considered valid protests if the protesting party also provides the original letter by either regular or overnight mail, postmarked by the close of the protest period. BLM will consider the e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. Faxed protests must be submitted to the BLM protest coordinator at (202) 452-5112 and e-mails to Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov.

-- BLM/FS --