Utah State Office
| Contacts: | Rachel Tueller | , 435-865-3032 |
BLM St. George to Host Scoping Meetings for Management Planning Efforts
St. George, Utah— The Bureau of Land Management St. George Field Office will host four public scoping meetings to kick off the preparation of management plans for the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas (NCAs), and an amendment to the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP), approved in 1999. A single Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to support these planning efforts.
The St. George BLM Field Office is excited to lead the development of the 45,000 acre Red Cliffs NCA and the 63,500 acre Beaver Dam Wash NCA, both established with the passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, P.L.111-11. Our planning efforts will strive to protect, enhance and conserve the ecological, natural, cultural/historical, recreational, scenic, educational and scientific values of public lands with an emphasis on the protection of federally listed-threatened and endangered species. These planning efforts will allow the BLM and local communities to creatively develop management goals and objectives for these unique and popular local ecosystems. This planning effort would also identify one or more alternatives for a “northern transportation route” in Washington County.
As part of this multi-faceted planning process, the St. George Field Office will also amend its current RMP to address specific public land uses and other legal requirements of P.L.111-11. The plan amendment will consider changes to the Off-Highway Vehicle area designations (Open, Closed, and Limited) approved through the 1999 RMP. Implementation planning (including alternatives) for specific routes within the area designations will occur through a separate Environmental Assessment (EA). The plan amendment will also consider nominations for new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) on public lands in Washington County where biological conservation is a priority.
This planning process will seek input from many municipal, county, and state government entities, American Indian Tribes, other federal agencies, and the general public. Cooperating agencies currently include: Mohave County, Washington County and the State of Utah. The St. George Field Office will use an interdisciplinary team approach in the preparation of the new plans, including the amendment.
Four scoping meetings will be held to provide the public with opportunities to learn about the plans that are to be developed and to share any information, concerns, or comments they may have. The meetings will be in an open house format and representatives from BLM’s St. George Field Office will be available to answer questions. The meetings are scheduled from 6pm to 8pm on the following dates at these locations:
St. George - Monday, June 14, 2010
Dixie Center
1835 Convention Center Dr.
St. George, UTMesquite, Nevada - Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Mesquite Community and Senior Center
102 West Old Mill Road
Mesquite, NVHurricane - Wednesday, June 16, 2010
City of Hurricane Office
147 North 870 West
Hurricane, UTSalt Lake City - Thursday, June 17, 2010
Salt Lake City Public Library
Conference Room – Level 4
210 East 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT
The public scoping period began on May 10, 2010 and ends on July 19, 2010. Written comments may be submitted at the scoping meetings, by letter to the address below, or by e-mail to utsgrmp@blm.gov . Please include “Resource Management Plan Amendment for the St. George Field Office, Utah and associated Environmental Impact Statement” in your correspondence. All comments must be received on or before the close of business, July 19, 2010.
Attention: Planning Project Manager
c/o Bureau of Land Management
St. George Field Office
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84770
Before including your address, phone number, email 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 may ask us in your comment to have your personal identifying information withheld from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Please contact BLM Planner Keith Rigtrup at (435) 586-2401 to request additional information regarding the meetings.
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.
Utah State Office 440 West 200 South, Suite 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84101