BLM and USFS Release Proposed Browns Canyon National Monument Resource Management Plan
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CANON CITY, Colo. – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royal Gorge Field Office and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Comanche-Cimarron National Grasslands (PSICC) released the Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) for managing Browns Canyon National Monument.
The Proposed RMP, Alternative D, integrates management actions from the three alternatives presented in the Draft RMP. Alternative D also responds to comments received during the public comment period and from cooperating agencies while providing protections for monument resources and recreational opportunities.
“The Proposed RMP incorporates input and responds to comments on the draft RMP from numerous stakeholders and interested individuals,” said BLM Royal Gorge Field Manager Keith Berger. “Engaged partners, communities, state and local government, and tribes were central in shared conservation planning of the Browns Canyon National Monument and in the development of this proposed plan to manage this incredible resource.”
Browns Canyon National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation 9232 on Feb. 19, 2015. BLM manages 9,790 acres and the USFS manages 11,810 acres of the 21,600-acre monument. This plan will revise a portion of the 1996 BLM Royal Gorge RMP and amends the 1984 USFS PSICC Forest Plan.
Browns Canyon National Monument’s river corridor lies within the broader Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA). The Browns Canyon segment accounts for between 40-45% of the overall commercial river use in the AHRA and contributed approximately $30 million to Colorado’s economy in 2018.
The Proposed RMP for the Browns Canyon National Monument is subject to a 30-day protest period. The document and instructions for protest are available for review on the BLM’s ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC. Protests are due no later than Monday, May 18, 2020.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.