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Project Information

Information RMP Process Documents Maps RMP Schedule News Links What is an RMP? The objective of the Miles City Field Office RMP is to establish management goals and actions to maintain, develop and protect the resource values of BLM administered land within the field office planning area. This document will guide the agency’s management of public lands to ensure healthy ecosystems, promote multiple uses and develop natural resources for present and future generations. As part of the plan preparation, a supporting environmental impact statement (EIS) will also be prepared. Both the RMP and EIS will be developed concurrently with a full range of public participation. An integral component of the Miles City Field Office RMP development process is public involvement. Throughout the project, local interests and residents will have opportunities to participate and share their insights and comments.  Planning Criteria The planning criteria guide and direct the plan, and determine how the contractor, planning team and collaborators will approach the development of alternatives and ultimately, the BLM manager's selection of a Preferred Alternative. They ensure that plans are tailored to the identified issues and ensure that unnecessary data collection and analyses are avoided. Preliminary Planning Issues and Management Concerns A planning issue is a dispute over resource management activities or land use that is well-defined and entails alternatives among which to choose.  Issues include: Vegetation Communities--How will vegetation be managed on BLM-adminstered lands to achieve healthy ecosystems while providing for a broad range of multiple uses? Wildlife, Wildlife Habitat, Special Status and Priority Plant and Animal Species--How will BLM-administered lands be managed to provide wildlife habitat and conserve and recover special status species and priority species? Travel Management and Access--How should BLM manage motorized public travel to meet the needs for public access and resource uses while minimizing user conflicts and impacts to air, soil, watersheds, vegetation, wildlife, and other resource values? Recreation--How should recreation management accommodate the full range of recreation uses enjoyed by the public on BLM-administered lands? Special Designations, including Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, National Trails, Wild and Scenie Rivers and Wilderness Study Areas--Which areas should be managed with special designations?  How should they be managed to protect values that warrant their special designation status? In addition to issues, the following are some of the management concerns: Air Quality Cultural Resources Off-Highway Vehicles Paleontological Resources Wild Fire and Prescribed Fire Management Native American Concerns General Schedule Click here to view the general schedule of the project.  Planning and Decision Areas The planning area is the geographic area within which the BLM will make decisions during a planning effort.  A planning area boundary includes all lands regardless of jurisdiction;  however, the BLM will only make decisions on lands that fall under the BLM's jurisdiction (including subsurface minerals).  The decision area is the land within a planning area for which the BLM has authority to make land use and management decisions.   In general, the BLM has jurisdiction over all BLM-administered lands (surface and subsurface) and over the subsurface minerals only in areas of split estate. Documents The documents page contains all documents produced in conjunction with the RMP such as the scoping brochure, comment form, newsletters, and reports.