| Contacts: | Tom Alvarez, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 244-3097 |
BLM seeks public input and comment for Dominguez-Escalante NCA
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -The Bureau of Land Management will hold two public meetings to solicit public comments and input, for consideration in future recreational planning for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area.
The first of two Travel Management Meetings will be held Tuesday, Nov. 9, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 Gunnison River Drive, in Delta. The second meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Mesa County Courthouse Annex, in the multipurpose room, 750 Main Street, in Grand Junction.
BLM staff will present the public with an inventory of combined routes within the Dominguez-Escalante NCA. The combined routes are used for hiking, horseback riding, off-road vehicles or any other means of transportation. The BLM is seeking public assistance to add information on any additional routes the initial inventory may have overlooked. To determine and consider future recreational and other multi-use access to the NCA, the BLM is also seeking public comment on which routes should be considered a priority in future planning and why the routes are important for recreational use.
The BLM is currently developing a new Resource Management Plan for the Dominguez-Escalante NCA and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. These public meetings will also review planning decisions for travel management and the travel planning process, offer guidance on accessing inventory information and how to submit comments, and answer questions related to travel management within the NCA.
On March 30, 2009, the U.S. Congress designated 209,610 acres of public lands, spanning the three counties of Mesa, Delta and Montrose, as the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. The Dominguez-Escalante NCA was established for a broad range of values to conserve, protect, enhance and manage for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Within the Dominguez-Escalante NCA, 66,280 acres are set aside as the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area, which was part of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area. They have been supported by local, regional and national interests for the outstanding resources in the area.
For information, contact Andy Windsor, Outdoor Recreation Planner, by telephone at (970) 244-3177, or email to John_Windsor@co.blm.gov. For additional information, visit the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/denca.html.
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.