Planning Process

The BLM's planning process has nine steps:

1.	Identify issues, concerns and opportunities.
2.	a.	Develop planning criteria.
	b.	Develop State Director's guidance.
3.	Collect inventory data and information.
4.	Analyze the management situation.
5.	Formulate alternatives.
6.	Estimate effects of alternatives.
7.	Select the Preferred Alternative and publish Draft RMP/EIS.
8.	a.	Select the Resource Management Plan and publish Proposed RMP/FEIS.
	b.	Respond to any protests, and publish RMP and Record of Decision (ROD).
9.	Implement, monitor and evaluate the RMP.

Publication of this document constitutes completion of Step 8b. Public involvement has occurred at several steps in the process.

The planning process is designed to help the BLM identify the uses of BLM-administered lands desired by the public and consider those uses to the extent consistent with the laws established by Congress and the policies of the executive branch of the federal government regarding management of those lands.

Where BLM manages only the subsurface mineral estate, the RMP addresses only the management of BLM-administered minerals.