U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Twin Falls BLM
Twin Falls BLM
| Contacts: | Heather Tiel-Nelson (208) 736-2352 |
Jarbidge Draft EIS Available for Public Comment
Twin Falls, IDAHO – The BLM today published the Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 1.4 million acres of public land in southwestern Idaho and northern Nevada managed by the Jarbidge Field Office. Publication opens a 90-day public comment period.
The six alternatives in the Draft offer a range of approaches to achieving and maintaining desired resource conditions in the area over the coming 15 to 20 years. The Draft EIS examines issues surrounding recreation, energy development, livestock grazing and vegetation.
“Sustainable use and development of all resources found on public lands happens in the context of resource management planning,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “We publish draft environmental analysis and draft management plans so that anyone who is interested can review and comment on them, and help ensure that we rightly balance competing demands in our final decisions.”
The Draft EIS analyzes potential interactions among various resource uses such as energy development, livestock grazing, and habitat for wildlife, particularly Greater sage-grouse, and identifies a Preferred Alternative, which the BLM believes best meets its commitments to protecting and restoring sage-grouse habitat in the Jarbidge planning area.
BLM Acting Idaho State Director Peter Ditton said that identifying an alternative as preferred at this stage does not mean that it is the BLM’s final decision. “The alternative we ultimately choose may change based on comments we receive on the Draft EIS or on additional information that might become available.
“We’re eager to receive thoughtful comments so we can arrive at a final plan for the Jarbidge area that best meets our responsibilities and the needs and demands of various users, both now and in the future,” Ditton added.
Electronic copies of the Draft EIS are available online at http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/planning/jarbidge_resource.html . CD-ROMs and limited quantities of print copies are also available at the BLM Jarbidge Field Office, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301.
Please send written comments by mail to Jarbidge Planning Team, BLM Jarbidge Field Office, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301 or e-mail comments to ID_Jarbidge_RMP@blm.gov . Fax written comments to (208) 736-2375 – Attention: Jarbidge Planning Team. Following the public comment period, comments will be used to prepare the Proposed Jarbidge RMP and Final EIS.
The BLM will also hold informational meetings during the comment period. The meetings will be open-house format, so participants may stop by at their convenience any time during the scheduled hours.
Sept. 21 Three Island Crossing State Park
1083 S. Three Island Park Dr.
Glenn's Ferry, ID 4-7 pm
Sept. 22 AmeriTel Inn
539 Poleline Rd.
Twin Falls, ID 4-8 pm
Sept. 23 Three Creek Schoolhouse
Three Creek, ID 4-7 pm
Sept. 28 BLM Boise District Office
3948 Development Dr.
Boise, ID 4-8 pm
Oct. 6 Red Lion Hotel
2065 Idaho St.
Elko, NV 4-7 pm
The area covered by the Jarbidge RMP extends from the Bruneau River on the west to Salmon Falls Creek on the east, and from the Snake River on the north to the northern boundaries of the BLM Elko Field Office and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest on the south, and includes the communities of Indian Cove, Murphy Hot Springs, Three Creek and Roseworth. The BLM determined in 2001to revise the 1987 Jarbidge RMP and began the revision process in 2005.
In developing the Draft RMP/EIS published today, the BLM considered issues raised during scoping for the plan revision and in consultations with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, along with recommendations from cooperating agencies, BLM resource specialists, and planning regulations and guidelines. The BLM will respond to each substantive comment it receives during the current comment period by making appropriate revisions to the Draft RMP/EIS or by explaining why a comment did not warrant a change.
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.