| Contacts: | Erin Curtis 970-244-3097 |
BLM to Finalize Rules for McInnis Canyons
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to finalize rules aimed at visitor education and safety, resource protection, and maintaining social and physical settings in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. The public now has one more opportunity to review and comment on the rules, which visitors to McInnis Canyons have been encouraged to follow for several years.
These rules implement decisions that were developed by the BLM Grand Junction Field Office in the 2004 Resource Management Plan for the McInnis Canyons NCA and Black Ridge Wilderness. The rules were developed with a great deal of public input, and are aimed at preventing resource damage, protecting public health and providing for public safety.
“These rules will not change our management of these public lands,” said Katie Stevens, McInnis Canyons NCA Manager. “They simply give us the ability to enforce the commitments and compromises that were made with significant public involvement during development of our management plan.”
Public comments will be accepted through September 11, 2009. Members of the public can view the rules online at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-16416.pdf or by visiting the Grand Junction Field Office at 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506.
Comments on the MCNCA supplementary rules may be mailed to Katie Stevens, McInnis Canyons NCA Manager, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506.
For more information, please contact the BLM Grand Junction Field Office at 970-244-3000.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
2815 H Rd Grand Junction, CO 81506