Southern Nevada District Office
| Contacts: | Kirsten Cannon | , 702-515-5057 | , k1cannon@blm.gov |
BLM Seeks Public Comment on Red Rock Hazardous Fuels Reduction Environmental Assessment
Las Vegas – The Bureau of Land Management, Southern Nevada District Office, Office of Fire Management announces the availably of an environmental assessment that analyzes hazardous fuels reduction treatments within Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The public comment period will open today and end February 27.
The proposed action is to use two herbicides to treat and reduce the amount of non-native invasive annual grasses and their seed bank to create fuel breaks. Alternative B would remove hazardous fuels by mowing. Alternative C would remove hazardous fuels by mechanical blading. Alternative D is the no action alternative. All alternatives, except the no action alternative, would create 300-foot fuel breaks along roads, trails and natural features and would compose 2,114 acres of treatment along approximately 65 miles. The proposed action also includes an additional 2,346 acres of treatment within existing burn scars.
To view the environmental assessment, please visit www.nv.blm.gov/vegas and select National NEPA Register Page under Links of Interest.
Public meetings will be held at the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center on February 8, 2012 from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. The first 30 minutes will be an open house session where specialists will be available to answer questions followed by a 15-minute project presentation and an hour and 15 minute open house. A court reporter will be available during the open house portions of the meeting to take comments. When participants enter the fee booth at the entrance of the 13-Mile Scenic Drive, they should tell the attendant that they are participating in the public meetings and fees will be waived.
In addition to the public meetings, written comments may also be addressed to Greg Marfil, BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130, e-mailed to BLM_NV_SNDO_RedRock_HazFuel_EA@blm.gov or faxed to 702-515-5023.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
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.
Southern Nevada District Office 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130