Pinedale Field Office
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
Deadline Extended for Public Comments on Sublette Mule Deer Mitigation Project
The deadline for public comments on a joint proposal between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pinedale Anticline Project Office (PAPO) and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to improve the quantity and quality of habitat in the Sublette Mule Deer Herd Unit has been extended from Nov. 30 to Dec. 14.
PAPO Coordinator Eric Decker states, “Given the current level of interest, extending the formal comment period will help us gather the best information possible to maximize the likelihood of success if we implement this project in the field.”
The “10-Year Sublette Mule Deer Mitigation Plan” proposal is in response to the decline of mule deer on the Mesa winter range and focuses on habitat in the Ryegrass, Soapholes and Mesa areas. The plan can be found at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/pfo/sublette.html.
An environmental assessment will be prepared to analyze the proposal, including recommendations for invasive plant species reduction, herbicide applications, reseeding, mechanical treatments, prescribed burning, and post-treatment management. The majority of proposed vegetation treatments are located in arid sagebrush communities, with some occurring in aspen, mixed mountain shrub and riparian communities.
The BLM is seeking constructive public comments to help identify additional treatment locations, options, potential issues, concerns, ideas, alternatives, or other mitigation options which can help meet the goals of increasing sagebrush and other mountain shrub productivity while enhancing forb and grass composition and diversity. In addition, a few projects are targeted at improving habitat which may influence Greater Sage-Grouse productivity.
Comments should be mailed or delivered to Eric Decker, PAPO, 1625 W. Pine St., P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, WY 82941; faxed to 307-367-5329; or emailed to egdecker@blm.gov with “Sublette Mule Deer Mitigation” in the subject line by 4:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14.
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 withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For further information, please contact Decker at 307-367-5386.
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.
Pinedale Field Office 1625 West Pine Street Pinedale WY 82941