| Contacts: | Jennifer Montoya | , 575-525-4316 |
BLM Seeks Public Input on Resource Management Plan Amendment in Grant County, New Mexico
NOTICE OF CHANGE: |
LAS CRUCES – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting public input until August 12, 2011 on a proposal to consider the impacts of expanding the boundary of the Gila Lower Box Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in Grant and Hidalgo Counties, and amending the Mimbres Resource Management Plan. The BLM Las Cruces District Office manages approximately 6,700 acres along the Gila River, downstream from Redrock, New Mexico as an ACEC. The purpose of the proposed plan amendment is to improve the BLM’s management of the important cultural and ecological resources of the area. The BLM has proposed two alternatives; a smaller expansion (approximately 620 acres) and a larger expansion (approximately 65,000 acres).
Input will be incorporated into an Environmental Assessment (EA) that is being initiated by the BLM. Written comments can be emailed to Jennifer Montoya at Jennifer_Montoya@nm.blm.gov, faxed to 575-525-4412, or mailed to the BLM Las Cruces District Office, 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005.
The EA will be available for public review and comment upon its completion. Contact Jennifer Montoya, BLM Planning Coordinator at 575-525-4316 for additional information.
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.