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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Utah State Office
 
Release Date: 01/09/12
Contacts: Erin Darboven , (801) 539-4061  

BLM Utah Invites Public to Sage-Grouse Scoping Meetings

As part of a national strategy to evaluate greater sage-grouse conservation measures, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) are inviting the public to participate in public scoping meetings to help identify issues to be addressed in an environmental impact statement.  Public scoping began on December 9, 2011, when the Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register.

The scoping meetings, in an open-house format, will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the following locations:

Price
January 17
Carbon County Event Center    
310 S. Fairgrounds Road
Vernal
January 18
Western Park Convention Center
300 East 200 South
Salt Lake City
January 19
Hampton Inn & Suites-SLC Airport  
307 North Admiral Byrd
Randolph
January 23
Randolph Senior Center    
5 North Main Street
Snowville
January 24
Snowville Town Hall    
20 West Main Street
Richfield
January 30
Sevier County Clerk  
Room #B46   250 North Main
Kanab
January 31
Kanab City Library         
374 North Main
Cedar City
February 1
Heritage Center-Festival Hall    
105 North 100 East

A complete list of scoping meeting times and locations can also be found on the BLM’s greater sage-grouse website at http://www.blm.gov/sagegrouse.

These scoping meetings are being held in conjunction with the 60-day public comment period to the Notice of Intent for the two agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to incorporate greater sage-grouse conservation measures into land use plans and land management plans. 

The 60-day public comment period provides the public an opportunity to comment on issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The public scoping meetings provide the public an additional opportunity to talk to staff and resource specialists and to submit written comments on the proposal in person.

Based on ongoing threats to the greater sage-grouse and its habitat throughout the West, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2015 deadline for making a decision whether to list the species under the Endangered Species Act, the BLM and the USFS plan to incorporate consistent objectives and conservation measures into all relevant plans by September 2014.

The two agencies have identified the following preliminary issues to address in their environmental analysis, including but not limited to: Greater Sage-grouse habitat management, wildfire, invasive species, rights-of-way, renewable energy development, grazing, off highway vehicle management and recreation.

To ensure that comments and information are fully considered, comments must be received by close of business on February 7, 2012. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

2.      Email:  sagewest@blm.gov
3.      Fax:  775-861-6747
4.      Mail:  Western Region Project Manager, BLM Nevada State Office,
        1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502
 
For more about the BLM’s Greater Sage-Grouse Planning Strategy, visit the following Website: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/sagegrouse.html.

The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.
--BLM--

Utah State Office   440 West 200 South, Suite 500      SLC, UT 84101-1345  

Last updated: 01-09-2012