BLM Kremmling Field Office seeks comments on plan to streamline commercial recreation permitting
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KREMMLING, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management seeks public comments on a proposal to streamline the special recreation permitting (SRP) review process in the Kremmling Field Office in northwestern Colorado.
The 377,900-acre Kremmling Field Office is preparing a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) to provide a landscape-level analysis of the different types of SRPs that may be authorized and to determine potential mitigation measures to minimize impacts to sensitive resources.
“Special recreation permits provide an important avenue for public recreation on BLM lands, including helping people enjoy activities like hunting, fishing and boating, as well as special events,” said Acting Kremmling Field Manager Bill Mills. “SRPs are one of the many ways BLM supports a working landscape.”
The field office typically processes between 85 and 95 SRPs each year. Depending on the activity, some SRP applications require a detailed, site-specific EA, which adds significant time to the permitting process. The programmatic EA will allow BLM to incorporate an existing analysis into the evaluation of the permit application, reducing redundancy and facilitating processing.
BLM issues commercial SRPs to allow recreation businesses the opportunity to operate on BLM lands to provide specific services to the public and to ensure a fair return to the public for commercial use of public lands. Last year recreation on lands managed by BLM Colorado generated $591 million and supported 4,800 jobs.
Before the BLM begins drafting the programmatic EA, it wants to hear any issues or concerns the public would like to see addressed. Information about the programmatic EA, including how to provide comments, can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xndrw.
Comments will be most helpful if received by Feb. 27, 2018.
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.