FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 24, 2007

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Releases Draft Plan for Public Input

The Bureau of Land Management has released the Draft Resource ManagementPlan and Environmental Impact Statement for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Alternatives described in the document are designed to guide future management and resolve land- management issues identified during the planning process. The analyses of environmental consequences from implementing each of the alternatives are included in the draft plan.

Open houses will be held to allow members of the public to discuss the draft plan alternatives with agency representatives and submit comments. Open houses are scheduled for:

• Tuesday, November 13, 2007 --LaPlata County Fairground Meeting Rooms,6:30 - 8:30 p.m. --2500 Main Avenue, Durango, Colorado
  
• Wednesday, November 14, 2007 --Koko’s Conference Center, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.-- 2121 East Main, Cortez, Colorado
  
• Thursday, November 15, 2007 --Holiday Inn Denver West, 7 - 9 p.m. --14707 West Colfax Avenue, Golden, Colorado 
   

Written comments will be accepted for 90 days until January 25. Comments received during this time will be fully evaluated and considered in the development of the final plan. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

• Website: http://www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/
• Fax: 970-882-7035
• Mail: Monument Manager, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, 27501 Hwy 184, Dolores, CO 81323

Comments are most useful when they address one or more of the following:

• Errors in the analysis;
• New scientific information that would have a bearing on the analysis;
• Misinformation that could affect the outcome of the analysis;
• Requests for clarification; and
• A substantive new alternative whose mix of allocations differs from those under any of the existing alternatives.

Comments must include complete names and addresses to allow BLM to ask for clarification of messages that are not legible or to ask followup questions. Incomplete comments or those from unidentified sources cannot be considered or included as part of the official comment record.

Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be available for public review and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information act (FOIA). All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

The draft plan may be reviewed on the project website at:http://www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/

CD copies are being made available to the public for personal use. In order to conserve natural resources, paper copies of the document are not being printed in bulk. Hard copies are available for viewing during regular business hours at the following locations:

• Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323
• Dolores Public Lands Office, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323
• San Juan Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court, Durango, CO 81301
• Dolores Public Library, 420 Railroad Ave., Dolores, CO 81323
• Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park, Cortez, CO 81321
• Mancos Public Library, 111 N. Main, Mancos, CO 81328
• Durango Public Library, 1188 E. 2nd Ave, Durango, CO 81301

For more information or to request a copy of the plan, contact the BLM Canyons of the Ancients National Monument - Anasazi Heritage Center at 970.882.5600.