January 28, 2009
Contact: David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 947-2832
BLM seeks local expertise to review road and trail inventory
Six workshops to be held this month
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management is asking the public to help as it begins a comprehensive look at its road and trail management within the Grand Junction Field Office.
BLM will be hosting a series of “travel management data collection workshops” in February to give the public the opportunity to review its route inventory for completeness and accuracy, as well as offer suggestions for possible re-routes or new routes that would complement the existing system.
“We really want to hear from the people who are using our roads and trails,” said Catherine Robertson, Grand Junction Field Manager. “Ensuring our route inventory is accurate is the first step in developing a comprehensive travel management plan.”
The workshops will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the dates and locations below:
| Date | Town | Address |
| Feb. 10 | Delta | Bill Heddles Rec. Center 530 Gunnison River Dr |
| Feb. 11 | DeBeque | Debeque Community Center 381 Minter Ave. |
| Feb. 12 | Collbran | Collbran Auditorium 102 Main St. |
| Feb. 17 | Gateway | Gateway Community Center 42700 Highway 141 |
| Feb. 18 | Fruita | Fruita Civic Center, Rotary Room 325 E. Aspen Ave. |
| Feb. 19 | Grand Junction | Courtyard Inn, Merlot Room 765 Horizon Dr. |
The travel management plan is being developed as part of the Field Office’s revision of its Resource Management Plan, or RMP. The RMP will provide overall management direction for the next two decades for the 1.2 million-acre field office.
The RMP revision will include travel management decisions identifying appropriate road and trail systems as well as designations for motorized, mechanized (e.g. bicycles) and non-mechanized (e.g. foot and horse) travel.
Public comments and information will be accepted at the workshops, as well as in writing through the mail or at the Grand Junction Field Office until March 20, 2009.
Maps of the inventoried trails and routes and comment forms will be available at www.blm.gov (follow the interactive map to Grand Junction), as well as the Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, prior to the workshops and throughout the comment period.
The public will be able to comment on the proposed travel management alternatives when the Draft RMPs are released for a 90-day public comment period next year.
“While there will be additional opportunities for public involvement with our trail and route management decisions, we are strongly encouraging people who are interested to get involved as early in this process as possible,” Robertson said.
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