For Release: Sept. 16, 2005
Contact: Rich Burns (707) 468-4000 or Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332
CA-N-05-92

BLM RELEASES DRAFT UKIAH FIELD OFFICE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
Public Comment Meetings Planned in Five Locations

The Bureau of Land Management has released for public review and comment a Draft Resource Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement for about 270,000 acres of public lands administered by the agency's Ukiah Field Office.

The draft plan/EIS provides management guidance for public lands in Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo, Colusa, Marin and Contra Costa counties. It analyzes the environmental impacts of various management alternatives.

BLM Ukiah Field Manager Rich Burns said the draft plan contains a range of management alternatives focused on public lands at Cow Mountain, Cache Creek, the Stornetta Public Lands near Point Arena, Knoxville, Indian Valley, Cedar Roughs, the Berryessa area, the Geysers area, and for scattered tracts of public lands.

The BLM will accept public comment on the draft plan/EIS until Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005. Comments must be in writing and addressed to: Bureau of Land Management, 2550 North State St., Ukiah, CA 95482, Attention: Resource Management Plan. Comments may be submitted online at: (insert email address).

The BLM will also accept comments at public meetings set for the following locations and dates:

• Healdsburg: Monday, Oct. 24, Sonoma County Library, 139 Piper St.
• Ukiah: Tuesday, Oct. 25, BLM Ukiah Field Office, 2550 North State St.
• Lakeport: Wednesday, Oct. 26, Lake County Courthouse, 255 North Forbes St.
• Point Arena: Thursday, Oct. 27, Point Arena City Hall, 451 School St.
• Woodland: Friday, Oct. 28, Woodland Public Library, Leake Room, 250 First St.
  

All meetings are from 7 to 9 p.m.

Copies of the document have been mailed to requesters. Additionally, printed or compact disc copies can be obtained by contacting the BLM Ukiah Field Office, (707) 468-4000.

"We will use all comments received in preparation of the proposed final plan/final EIS to be released next spring," Burns said. "We appreciate the comments and suggestions we've received to this point, and we look forward to receiving comments on our draft plan and EIS."

When completed, the management plan will provide broad guidance for management of public lands for the next 20 years. The plan addresses issues such as protection for special status plants and animals, designation of special management areas, fire management and fuels reduction, recreation management and others.

More information is available from the Ukiah Field Office, (707) 468-4000, or by contacting BLM Public Affairs Officer Jeff Fontana at (530) 252-5332.

-BLM-

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