Guidance

BLM leaders at the National and State levels prepare and issue guidance to help local resource managers. This guidance provides the latest information on agency policies for use in planning. It also assures that locally drawn plans consider national concerns and priorities as the plans are prepared.

National Guidance. At the National level, guidance is prepared to provide an overall policy framework for public land and resource management, including Resource Management Planning. The official who issues this guidance is the BLM's Director in Washington, D.C. The guidance is based on public laws, regulations, Executive Orders by the President, and other Presidential or Secretarial documents.

State Director Guidance. The BLM State Director, who oversees public land management in at least one and sometimes several States, has considerable discretion in determining the extent and degree of planning guidance necessary for the local District and Resource Area Managers. The guidance issued reflects the State Director's coordination and agreements with the Governors' offices and various affected State government agencies. Other aspects of guidance may include:

• goals for public land and resource uses;
• objectives for specific resource uses, allocations, and designations;
• priorities for management of resources;
• specific alternatives to be considered;
• resource values to be considered; and
• constraints or thresholds (minimums and maximums) that must be observed in preparing these land use plans.

District Manager Guidance. The District Manager may develop a "District Manager's Concept" which helps focus this national and state guidance on developing plans within the district.

You are encouraged to provide comments on the design and utility of these site materials. In the future a questionnaire will be included to solicit your comments, including need for specific types of additional information.