| Contacts: | Denise Adamic, BLM Front Range District (719)269-8553 |
Rio Grande Natural Area Commission meets March 14 in Alamosa (03-05-12)
ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet Wednesday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hampton Inn, 710 Mariposa Street, Alamosa, Colo.
The meeting is open to the public with a comment period scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Agenda topics include:
• Discussing a draft plan for the non-Federal lands within the Natural Area
• Tribal consultation overview
• BLM presentation on cadastral survey
• BLM State Director presentation of the Volunteer of the Year Award
The Rio Grande Natural Area was established on Oct. 12, 2006, to conserve, restore, and protect the natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources of the 33-mile stretch of the Rio Grande River between the southern end of the Alamosa Wildlife Refuge and the Colorado-New Mexico state border. The Natural Area encompasses 5,900 acres of private land, and 2,900 acres of BLM lands within ¼ mile of the river’s banks.
The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission is a nine-member group created to advise the Secretary of Interior with respect to the Natural Area and to develop a non-binding management plan for the non-federal land within the Natural Area.
For more information about the RGNA log on to: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/slvfo/rio_grande_natural.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.
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