Agency Preferred Alternative

The agency responsible for writing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must pick a preferred alternative at some point in the process.  If the preferred alternative is known before the Draft EIS is released to the public for review, the EIS should disclose the agency preferred alternative.  If the agency has not chosen a preferred alternative, the Draft EIS can be used to determine the preferred alternative for disclosure in the Final EIS.

When choosing the preferred alternative, the agency must consider the following:

• The agency's mission (see below) and responsibilities
• Economic, social, environmental, and technical factors
• Other laws affecting the project (such as the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004)

The BLM has chosen the Proposed Action as the Agency Preferred Alternative.  The Proposed Action is summarized on the Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project Overview web page, or it can be viewed in full in Chapter 2 of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Bureau of Land Management Mission

The Bureau of Land Management administers public lands within a framework of numerous laws. The most comprehensive of these is the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). All Bureau policies, procedures and management actions must be consistent with FLPMA and the other laws that govern use of the public lands.

It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.