| Contacts: | Howard Parman | , 575.627.0212 |
BLM Releases Draft Management Plan for the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area - 45-Day Public Review and Comment Period Opens
ROSWELL - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking input from the public about the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment (Plan) and associated Environmental Assessment for the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (NCA).
The NCA, located in Lincoln County, was created to protect, conserve, and enhance the unique and nationally important historic, cultural, scientific, archaeological, natural, and educational subterranean cave resources of the Fort Stanton-Snowy River cave system. It was established on March 30, 2009 through the Omnibus Land Management Act (Act), Public Law 111-11. The Act directed the BLM to create a management plan that will describe both cave and surface resource management goals and objectives within the NCA.
There will be a 45-day comment period for the Plan that will end on June 9, 2011. Written comments will be accepted at the Roswell Field Office, 2909 W. 2nd St., Roswell, NM 88201 or by email at nmrfo_comments@blm.gov.
The BLM will be holding two public meetings to discuss the Plan. Project specialists will be available at the meetings to provide information, to answer questions, and to accept comments. All interested parties are encouraged to attend one or both of the meetings:
• May 10, 2011- Ruidoso Convention Center, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
• May 12, 2011- Capitan Public Library, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
The Plan as well as related documents can be found at the Roswell Field Office or on the web at www.blm.gov/nm. For further information, please contact Howard Parman, Assistant Field Manager for Resources, at (575) 627-0212.
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.