The purpose of the Winnemucca District (WD)'s RMP is to serve as:

• A public document that defines management policies and actions in the WD.
• A means to establish goals and objectives for resource management and the measures needed to achieve those goals and objectives.
• A working guide for BLM staff who are responsible for managing WD lands.

RMP decisions guide future land management actions and subsequent site-specific implementation decisions.  The RMP will:

• Update management decisions for public lands in the WD and the resource allocations affecting the district;
• Incorporate available new data;
• Resolve issues identified during public scoping;
• Integrate or modify uses of public land that have occurred since the Sonoma-Gerlach and the Paradise-Denio Management Framework Plans and associated amendments were implemented;
• Identify lands that are open and available for certain uses, including any restrictions, and lands that are closed to certain uses; and
• Provide comprehensive management direction for and/or allocate use of all resources.

Management measures outlined in the RMP will apply only to lands managed by the BLM; no measures will be developed for private, tribal, state or other federally owned lands.

In conjunction with the development of the RMP, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  Any federal action that may affect the human or natural environment requires compliance with NEPA and the development of this RMP is such an action.  The EIS will evaluate possible environmental and social effects of different management alternatives for BLM managed lands in the WD.  Once the EIS is completed, the BLM will prepare a Record of Decision.