News Release

For Immediate Release: May 14, 2004
Contact: Doran Sanchez (909) 697-5220; E-MAIL: Doran_Sanchez@ca.blm.gov
CA-CDD-04-47

NEMO Proposed Routes of Travel Plan Available to Public

The Northern and Eastern Mojave Desert (NEMO) proposed Routes of Travel Plan, which encompasses approximately 1.3 million acres of public lands in Inyo, San Bernardino and Mono counties, is available to the public at http://www.ca.blm.gov/barstow initiating the 30-day protest period.

Written protests on the proposed plan amendment must be received by Monday, June 14, 2004. Protests should be submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Protest Coordinator (WO-210), 1620 L St., NW, Room 1075, Washington, D.C. 20036 (overnight mail) or Director (210), Attn: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, D.C. 20235 (regular mail) with a copy to Edy Seehafer, BLM, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311. Procedures for filing a protest are clearly outlined in the notice and 43 Code of Federal Regulations Subpart 1610.5-2.

The proposed amendment will allow BLM to complete routes of travel designations on the remaining 1.3 million acres of public lands within the 2.7 million-acre NEMO planning area. BLM California State Director Mike Pool issued a record of decision in 2002 designating routes on approximately 400,000 acres of public lands within desert wildlife management areas located within the NEMO planning area in December of 2002. Approximately one million acres of wilderness are excluded from route designation since motorized vehicle use is prohibited by law in wilderness areas.

The proposed plan analyzes four route designation alternatives, including a proposed action that would designate 1,519 miles of routes, or approximately 91 percent of the network on public lands, open for public use. The route designations include "open", "closed" and "limited" in accordance with BLM route designation criteria.

For further information, contact Harold Johnson at (760) 252-6000.

-BLM-