FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2004

BLM ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON A GRAZING PERMIT RENEWAL ASSESSMENT IN  CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Environmental Assessment # CO-SJPLC-03-099 

The Bureau of Land Management is now accepting public comment on an Environmental Assessment (EA) that evaluates the potential effects of renewing a permit for livestock grazing on lands covering 27 percent of the total land base of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The allotments cover 43,912 acres within the Monument boundaries, including the Yellow Jacket, Cahone Mesa, Goodman Gulch, Sand Canyon East, Sand Canyon West, Flodine Park and Hamilton Mesa Allotments. The reference number for this EA is CO-SJPLC-03-099.

Another EA (CO-038-99-066), released in the winter of 2001, also evaluated the potential effects of renewing a livestock grazing permit for these same allotments. However, after receiving public comment, this previous EA was canceled because it did not consider new BLM Standards for Public Land Health in Colorado, and did not evaluate a complete set of alternatives. As a result, public comments submitted for this previous EA do not apply to the new EA. 

Written comments must be received by no later than Friday, March 12, 2004. Comments should be addressed to Monument Planner, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, 27501 Hwy 184, Dolores, CO 81323.  

For more information, call the Anasazi Heritage Center at 970-882-5600.

 Public comments received, including names and street addresses of respondents, may be published as part of the EA and other related documents. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review and disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.