NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: November 20, 2003
Contact: Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332
      CA-N-04-16

REDDING AREA RESIDENTS COMMENT ON SWASEY DRIVE PROPOSAL

A group of about 60 Redding area residents provided comments and recommendations Wednesday evening, on a U. S. Bureau of Land Management proposed management plan for public land along Swasey Drive west of Redding.

Most speakers commented on a proposal to phase out a shooting range, while others had questions and suggestions relating to management of recreation trails, protection of Native American and historic resources, and use of off-highway vehicles on the two-square-mile parcel.

"We appreciated the excellent turnout and the suggestions we received," said Chuck Schultz, manager of the BLM Redding Field Office. "We're going to look carefully at all the comments we received in the meeting and those we receive through the mail, electronic mail and at the office. We will use those comments to shape a final management plan that we hope to release in the first part of next year."

The BLM will be accepting comments on the draft plan until Tuesday, Dec. 9. They can be mailed to the Bureau of Land Management, 355 Hemsted Dr., Redding, CA, 96002, or emailed to the office at Eric_Ritter@ca.blm.gov.

The draft management plan focuses primarily on protection of the sites containing archaeological evidence of early human use of the region. It also calls for protecting that last vestiges of historic mining that played an important role in the development of Redding and the region.

Improved management of motorcycle, four-wheel-drive and all-terrain-vehicle use are also recommended in the various draft plan alternatives, along with development of more recreation trails and improved signing. Among the draft plan alternatives is a proposal to close the target shooting range over a two-year period. Public safety and other impacts are cited as the rationale for closing the range.

About 200 copies of the draft plan were mailed to requesters. It is also available on the Redding Field Office website at www.ca.blm.gov/redding.

Redding Field Office 355 Hemsted Dr. Redding CA 96002