BLM hosts public meetings and extends comment period on draft Gunnison Sage-Grouse rangewide plan amendment
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LAKEWOOD—The Bureau of Land Management is hosting public meetings and extending the public comment period on the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The new deadline for public comments is Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. The BLM is hosting three public open houses to provide information and an opportunity to comment on the plan amendment. Members of the public can stop by anytime between 6-8 p.m. on the following dates at the following locations:
- Monday, Oct. 17, at Gunnison County Fairgrounds, 275 Spruce St., Gunnison, CO 81230
- Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Dolores High School, 1301 Central Ave., Dolores, CO 81323
- Wednesday, Oct. 19, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 Gunnison River Dr., Delta, CO 81416
The Draft Plan considers four potential management alternatives that range from leaving management of Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat as it is currently creating a standard management approach that focuses primarily on conservation of Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat.
The BLM manages about 623,000 acres, or 37 percent, of Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat across the range of the species.
Based on a January 2013 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to list the Gunnison Sage-Grouse as endangered, the BLM began to analyze current conservation measures and consider additional protections for the bird on public lands in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. In November 2014, the Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Gunnison Sage-Grouse as threatened.
To review the documents, go to http://bit.ly/1Uusw8C. Comments related to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS should be submitted by Jan 19, 2017, using the comment form at:http://1.usa.gov/1Uusw8C, via email to gusg_amend@blm.gov, via fax at 303-239-3699 or via mail to Gunnison Sage-Grouse EIS, Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield St., Lakewood, CO 80215. For more information, contact Bridget Clayton, BLM Colorado Sage-Grouse Coordinator, at bclayton@blm.gov or 970-244-3045.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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 can 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.
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.