Scoping Report: Farmington RMPA for Visual Resource Management
The BLM Farmington Field Office is currently in the process of developing a Resource Management Plan Amendment/Environmental Assessment (RMPA/EA). The purpose of this RMPA/EA is to review and update, as needed, the visual resource management (VRM) objectives throughout the Field Office. VRM objectives serve as the basic visual management standards for design and development of surface disturbing projects. The planning area encompasses about 1.4 million surface acres of public lands in San Juan, Rio Arriba, and Sandoval Counties, New Mexico.
While BLM is responsible for managing the public lands for multiple uses, the agency is also responsible for ensuring that the scenic values of these public lands are considered before allowing uses that may have negative visual impacts. Different levels of scenic values require different levels of management. For example, management of an area with high scenic value might focus on protecting the existing visual character of the landscape, and management of an area with little scenic value might allow for major modifications to the landscape. This RMPA/EA will carefully consider these different scenic values in relation to existing resource allocations to determine if/what changes are needed to existing VRM objectives and their boundaries.
Though the formal comment period has past, your participation in this process is still encouraged. Comments or concerns regarding this proposed plan can be sent to nm_ffo_comments@blm.gov. Please include the letters “VRM” in your subject line. Should you have questions please contact the Farmington Field Office at 505-599-8900.
An example of BLM Visual Resource Management can be requiring that tanks at natural gas well sites be painted dark green to blend in with surrounding pinon and juniper trees.
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