Public comment period ends for Draft Roan Plateau RMP/EIS

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO—The public comment period for the Draft Roan Plateau Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) ends today. Comments must be postmarked with today’s date, or submitted online by midnight tonight, for inclusion in the public comment record. The Bureau of Land Management Glenwood Springs Field Office (GSFO) released the plan in late November 2004. The previous comment period deadline had been March 4.

“To date, nearly 74,000 comments have been received. The vast majority of the comment letters, thus far, are various form letters,” GSFO Manager Jamie Connell said. “We expect the comment analysis process to be completed in the next several weeks.” Of those comments received by BLM, 72,000 are form letters and 1,600 are unique comments.

BLM GSFO staff will work with a consultant in reviewing comments received; categorizing them by topic, format and origin; and then developing a Comment Analysis Report.

The towns of Rifle and Parachute, Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, and the State of Colorado, cooperators in this plan, will have the opportunity to review the Comment Analysis Report and work with BLM staff in a collaborative effort to resolve any issues. This information will be used in developing the proposed Final Roan Plateau RMP/EIS. Timing for release of the proposed final documents is contingent upon the total number of comments received, and the time it will take to address those comments. A late fall 2005 release date for the proposed Final Roan Plateau RMP/EIS is anticipated at this time.

Public comments should provide specific information about the plan to help inform the BLM’s decision-making process. Comments should either be dropped off or mailed today to the Glenwood Springs Field Office, 50629 Hwy 6 & 24, Glenwood Springs, CO 81602, or submitted online by midnight tonight at www.roanplateau.ene.com.

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