Buffalo Field Office
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Collins | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
BLM BFO Hosts Public Meetings on Draft Buffalo RMPA/EA for the Fortification Creek Area
On Sept. 17, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Buffalo Field Office (BFO) released the draft Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Fortification Creek Planning Area (FCPA).
The BFO will host public meetings to familiarize the public with the draft plan and accept public comments. Meetings will be from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Town | Date | Location |
| Gillette | Tues., Oct. 19 | Campbell County Public Library, 2101 South 4-J Road |
| Buffalo | Wed., Oct. 20 | Johnson County Fire Hall, 314 Railroad Avenue |
| Sheridan | Thurs., Oct. 21 | Fulmer Public Library, 335 W. Alger |
There will be presentations on the draft plan at 3:30, 5:00, and 6:30 p.m. Your comments are important and will be considered in the environmental analysis process. If you comment, your name will be added to a mailing list in order to provide you with future information regarding the Fortification Creek amendment. Written comments will be accepted through Nov. 16, 2010.
Copies of the Draft RMPA/EA are available online at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/bfodocs/fortification_creek.html, at the Buffalo Field Office, and local libraries.
Written comments and resource information submitted by mail should be sent to the BLM Buffalo Field Office, Attention Thomas Bills, Project Manager, 1425 Fort Street, Buffalo, WY, 82834. Comments or questions may also be sent by facsimile to the attention: Thomas Bills at (307) 684-1122; or sent electronically to: Fort_Crk_WYMail@blm.gov.For more information, contact Thomas Bills at (307) 684-1133.
The Fortification Creek Planning Area is located in Campbell, Johnson, and Sheridan counties, Wyoming encompassing 100,655 acres. Special resource values in the area include: an isolated elk herd and its habitat, high visual quality, a 12,000 acre wilderness study area (WSA), steep slopes with erosive soils, and cultural, historic, and paleontological sites.
The Draft RMPA/EA documents the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of three alternatives for management of BLM-administered lands within the Fortification Creek Planning Area of the Buffalo Field Office. These alternatives include:
- No Action, in which coalbed natural gas (CBNG) development and other resources would be managed under existing land use planning decisions;
- CBNG development would be geographically phased development with prescription based protections for sensitive soil resources and the resident elk herd, and
- CBNG development would be phased with performance based standards to protect the resident elk herd and ensure successful reclamation.
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.
Buffalo Field Office 1425 Fort Street Buffalo, WY 82834