For Immediate Release: Jan. 26, 2005 CA-N-05-25
Contact: Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332

PUBLIC MEETINGS SET FOR LAND USE PLAN DEVELOPMENT

People interested in the management of public lands and natural resources will have the opportunity to help the U. S. Bureau of Land Management develop management options, when the agency hosts a series of public workshop meetings later this month.

During the meetings, staff from the BLM's Ukiah Field Office will discuss their initial work on possible management alternatives, show maps illustrating these options, and listen to opinions and suggestions on the work done so far.

"We want people to have an early opportunity to see where we are headed in developing management alternatives for the Ukiah Resource Management Plan," said BLM Ukiah Field Manager Rich Burns. "We will consider the suggestions received in these meetings as we develop a range of management alternatives for our draft resource management plan and draft environmental impact statement which will be released for formal public comment in late summer or early fall."

The meetings, all from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., will be held as follows:

~Ukiah: Tuesday, Feb. 22, BLM Ukiah Field Office, 2550 North State St.
~Point Arena: Wednesday, Feb. 23, Point Arena City Hall, 451 School St.
~Lakeport: Thursday, Feb. 24, Lake County Board of Supervisors' Chambers, 255 N. Forbes St.
~Woodland: Friday, Feb. 25, Woodland Public Library (Leake Center), 250 First St.

During the workshop meetings, the BLM staff will present draft alternatives for specific public land areas managed by the BLM, such as the Cache Creek Natural Area, North and South Cow Mountain Recreation Areas, the Stornetta Public Lands and others. Meeting participants have the chance to comment on whether the draft management alternatives adequately address land use and natural resources issues.

The Ukiah Field Office manages more than 300,000 acres of public lands in Lake, Mendocino, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Glenn, Colusa, Yolo and Solano counties. The Resource Management Plan now being developed will provide management direction for the next 20 years.

For more information, contact the Ukiah Field Office at (707) 468-4000.

-BLM-

Ukiah Field Office 2550 North State St., Ukiah, CA 95482