News Release

For Release:  April 4, 2007              
Contact:  David Christy, (916) 985-4474
CA-CC-07-30

BLM Schedules Scoping Meetings for Carrizo Plain Plan

The Bureau of Land Management will conduct scoping meetings in Central California to gather input on issues to be addressed in the Carrizo Plain National Monument draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement.

The meetings will be held in cooperation with the Monument Advisory Committee, and BLM's monument managing partners, The Nature Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Game.

“Developing the management plan offers both the BLM and the community a unique opportunity to produce a comprehensive long-range plan – one that will address current needs and guide us into the future,” said Patty Gradek, acting manager for the BLM Bakersfield Field Office.

Public scoping meetings will be held:

• April 24 at the San Luis Obispo Library, 995 Palm St.  The library is less than one mile east of Highway 101 off the Osos exit. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and finish at 7:30 p.m.  

• May 1 at the BLM Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive.  The office is approximately one mile east of Highway 99 off the Porterville/Sequoia exit turn-off on Highway 65. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and finish at 7:30 p.m. 

• May 5 at the California Valley Community Services District building on Soda Lake Road. The center is located approximately three miles south of Highway 58 adjacent to the California Valley Fire Station 42. This meeting is being held in conjunction with a Carrizo Monument Advisory Committee meeting.  The planning effort will be discussed (with time for public scoping input) from 10 a.m. to noon.  Lunch will be available for $8.  The MAC meeting will then continue from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. focusing on other agenda topics related to the national monument

Written scoping comments should be sent by June 12 to: Monument Manager Johna Hurl, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, Calif. 93308.

BLM held a series of scoping meetings in 2002 when the planning process was initiated. Comments submitted during that process will be considered with comments received in the current process. If you previously submitted comments, you may provide additional comments or clarifications of those previously made.

As the next step in the planning process, BLM will develop a draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement. Under the current schedule, the draft will be available for public review in early 2008. Public meetings will be held to gather comments on the draft. The draft and public comments will be used to develop a final Resource Management Plan and Record of Decision, which is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2008.

Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations should contact Johna Hurl at (661) 391-6093.

-BLM-