For Release: Sept. 16, 2005 CA-N-05-93
Contact: Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332 or Charlie Wright (530) 224-2100
CA-N-05-93

BLM LAND SALES PLAN AMENDMENT RELEASED

A resource management plan (RMP) amendment, allowing sales of excess federal land, has been released by the Bureau of Land Management's Redding Field Office. A public protest period closes Monday, Oct. 17, 2005.

The Redding Resource Management Plan, a document directing management of public lands administered by the BLM Redding Field Office, is being amended to allow sales of public land deemed suitable for disposal from public ownership. Parcels subject to disposal are identified in the RMP.

Without the plan amendment, the field office would usually be limited to land exchanges as the only way to dispose of these excess parcels, according to Charlie Wright, a BLM realty specialist.

"Exchanges will still be used where applicable, but the ability to sell parcels to the public will give us more flexibility in transferring scattered parcels out of public ownership," Wright said.

The Federal Land Transaction Act, passed in 2000, gave the BLM the authority to retain a portion of the proceeds from sales to acquire parcels which are appropriate for long term federal management for public use and enjoyment.

Copies of the proposed plan amendment are available by contacting the BLM's Redding Field Office, 355 Hemsted Dr., Redding, 96002, by telephoning the office at (530) 224-2100 or by email request to cwright@ca.blm.gov.

Protests must be postmarked by Oct. 17, 2005 and mailed to: Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attention Brenda Williams, PO Box 66538, Washington, D. C. 20035. The BLM director will issue a decision in writing.

Those who participated in the planning process, and feel their interests will be adversely affected can file protests. Protests can raise only those issues that were submitted for the record during the planning process.

More information on the plan amendment and protest procedures is available from Wright at the BLM Redding Field Office.

-BLM-

Redding Field Office 355 Hemsted Dr. Redding, CA 96002