News Release

National Monument Advisory Committee Meeting Scheduled

The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Advisory Committee will meet February 2, 2005, at 9 a.m. in the Palm Desert City Council Chambers, located at 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California.

All National Monument Advisory Committee (MAC) meetings are open to the public and media, with attendance limited only by available space. Meetings focus on implementation issues for the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Management Plan. The agenda and MAC meeting minutes are available on-line at http://www.ca.blm.gov/palmsprings/santarosa/ santa_rosa_national _monument.html.

Agenda topics for the Feb. 5, 2005 MAC meeting include:
~Updates from the Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service
~Discussion on Inter-agency cooperation
~National Monument Charter
~National Monument Interpretive Plan
~Coachella Valley Multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan/Trails Plan
~National Monument branding issues
~Hang Gliding on Public Lands
~Opportunity for Public Comment

The Public Comment period is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Representatives of any organization, association, or an individual are more than welcome to comment on any National Monument Management Plan implementation or agenda item. Individuals wishing to address the MAC are asked to contact a National Monument staff member in order to sign-in and be placed on the agenda during the Public Comment period. Depending upon the number of speakers, comments will be limited to five minutes. Written text of comment, if provided will be included in full in the MAC meeting minutes.

Individuals in need of special assistance (i.e.: sign language interpretation, or other such needs) should contact the National Monument staff in advance, by either calling the Visitor Center, 760 862-9984, or through the Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 760 251-4800, so reasonable arrangements may be made.

The National Monument was established Oct. 24, 2000 through an Act of Congress, when President Clinton signed Public Law 106-351. The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000, is designed to preserve significant biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational, and scientific values found within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains.

The Monument Advisory Committee (MAC) is composed of citizens appointed to advise the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture on the implementation of the National Monument Management Plan. Comprised of representative members from State and local jurisdictions, the MAC also includes representatives from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a natural science expert, local conservation organization, a local developer or building organization, the Winter Park Authority, and a representative from the Pinyon Community Council.

The 272,000-acre National Monument's encompasses 86,400-acres of Bureau of Land Management managed lands; 64,400-acres of Forest Service administered lands; 23,000-acres of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians lands; 8,500-acres of California Department of Parks and Recreation lands; 34,500-acres of other State of California agencies lands, and 55,200-acres of private lands.

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