Contact: David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 947-2832

Nov. 19, 2008

Comment period on Little Snake RMP air analysis closes Jan. 5
 

CRAIG, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management Little Snake Field Office is accepting public comments through Jan. 5 for the additional air quality analysis it completed for its draft Resource Management Plan.

The analysis and information about how to comment are available at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/lsfo/plans/rmp_revision/rmp_docs.html or at the Little Snake Field Office, 455 Emerson St. in Craig.

BLM’s Draft Little Snake Resource Management Plan, covering 1.3-million acres in northwestern Colorado, was released for public comment in Feb. 2007. Following public and technical review of the draft document, BLM conducted an additional analysis to better determine potential impacts from management actions on air quality.

The analysis indicated that impacts would not exceed any air quality standards in any of the four alternatives in the plan. Very slight impacts to visibility in the Dinosaur National Monument and Mt. Zirkel Wilderness Area might be detectable on no more than five days, depending on the alternative selected.

The RMP will guide the overall management of the Field Office, including energy and mineral development, transportation and travel management, wildlife habitat, and special management areas. BLM continues to thoroughly review and analyze the thousands of public comments it received on the Draft EIS. Substantive comments will be addressed in the Final EIS, scheduled to be released in May 2009.

The Field Office includes 1.3 million acres of public lands and minerals, as well as an additional 1.1 million acres of mineral estate with non-federal surface ownership, in Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties. 

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