| Contacts: | David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 876-9008 |
BLM to Host Open House for Proposed Mountain Island Land Exchange (07-07-10)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management will hold an open house July 21 in Glade Park to discuss the Mountain Island Land Exchange, which is proposed for lands 20 miles southwest of Grand Junction in the Glade Park/Pinon Mesa area.
Under the proposed exchange, BLM would gain 576 acres consisting of four private land parcels that are mostly surrounded by public land. This exchange would give the public an important access point to about 9,000 acres of federal land that is currently difficult to access in the Timber Ridge area east of County Road 9.8. BLM would also acquire a private in-holding within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.
In exchange, 10 parcels of BLM land totaling 788 acres would be transferred to private ownership. Six of these parcels (361 acres) are completely surrounded by private land and are not accessible to the public. Public access is difficult to the remaining four parcels as well, which are relatively small and currently receive limited public use.
An initial public comment period on the proposal was held last fall. BLM is now beginning an environmental assessment on the proposal and wants to hear additional comments and answer any questions from the public.
“Public involvement is a critical piece of evaluating land exchange proposals,” said Grand Junction Field Manager Catherine Robertson. “We will pursue land exchanges if they are determined to be in the public’s interest.”
The open house will be held on July 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Glade Park Community Center, 1521 S. 16 1/2 Road.
A map showing the location of the parcels is available on the BLM Grand Junction Field Office website at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html.
Federal land exchanges are based on a value-for-value exchange rather than acres-for-acres. Appraisals on the parcels proposed in the exchange will be conducted this summer, and proposed acreages may be adjusted to reflect that appraisal.
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 Road Grand Junction, CO 81506