| Contacts: | Shannon Borders, 970-240-5399 |
BLM seeks comments for a Travel Management Plan near Norwood (08-21-12)
NORWOOD, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management’s Uncompahgre Field Office is preparing an environmental assessment to conduct a comprehensive travel management plan within the Norwood-Burn Canyon area.
Earlier this year the BLM accepted public comments regarding the proposal from Norwood Park and Recreation District to construct new single-track trails southwest of Norwood in an area known as Burn Canyon. After reviewing the public comments, the project was modified from a proposal to construct new trails to a route-by-route designation of all roads and trails in the project area.
“A comprehensive Travel Management Plan will allow us to analyze new and existing roads and trails that can fill the need for additional recreational activities while protecting natural resources,” said Barb Sharrow, BLM Uncompahgre field manager.
The 9,852 acre area is three to four miles west of Norwood, and currently serves as an undeveloped multiple-use trail system with connectivity to roads leading into town.
The BLM is soliciting public comments on this proposal to help identify issues, concerns or alternatives that should be addressed as part of the environmental analysis and decision making process.
Comments received during the first scoping period will be considered for the Travel Management Plan, and do not need to be resubmitted. New comments concerning this proposal are due no later than Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. Please send comments to the Uncompahgre Field Office, Attn: Julie Jackson, 2465 South Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, cotmpufo@blm.gov or by fax to 970-240-5368. Comments should include specific concerns and recommendations on how the proposal may affect the resources within the scope of the project.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware, your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
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.
2465 South Townsend Avenue Montrose, CO 81401