BLM Issues Interim Final Supplementary Rules

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Carrizo Plain National Monument is requesting public comments on Interim Final Supplementary Rules affecting 206,635 surface acres of public land in eastern San Luis Obispo and western Kern counties. 

“The rules will ensure long term protection of the significant cultural and biological resources on the Carrizo Plain National Monument,” said Johna Hurl, Carrizo Plain National Monument manager. The new rules will implement decisions made by BLM in the 2010 Carrizo Plain National Monument Resource Management Plan. 

The interim rules are effective immediately and remain in effect until modified or rescinded by publication of the final rules.

The interim rules include:

• Use of replica weapons (such as paintball, airsoft or war game apparatus) is prohibited.

• Non-street-legal vehicles are prohibited with the following exceptions:

• When used for authorized, permitted, or administrative purposes, including those used in emergency situations.
• When used on a designated portion of the Temblor Ridge.

• All pets must remain leashed or caged at all developed sites including visitor centers, interpretive overlooks, trail heads and camping areas.

• The following animals, objects and activities are unlawful within the Painted Rock Exclusion Zone:

• horses
• dogs
• motorized and non-motorized bikes (except in the Painted Rock parking area)
• cache-type activities
• discharge of firearms
• campfires, with the exception of Native American ceremonial use.

• Commercial still or video photography of the pictographs and petroglyphs is prohibited.  Pictographs are images painted on the stone surfaces and petroglyphs are images carved into the stone surfaces by Native American people.

• No non-native or captive-held native species shall be released within the CPNM.

The rules are available online for public review at the CPNM webpage at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/Programs/carrizo.html.

Paper copies are available upon request through the Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield Calif. 93308.

The official notice was published in the Federal Register today and starts the 60-day public review period.  Public comments must be postmarked no later than Feb 19, 2013. Written public comments should be submitted to BLM Bakersfield Field Office, attention Ryan Cooper.

For more information, contact Ryan Cooper at (661) 391-6048 or racooper@blm.gov.

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