BLM Schedules Public Meeting on Temblors Recreation Area
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a town hall meeting in Taft to discuss management of public lands in the Temblor Mountain Range west of Taft.
The meeting on the Temblor Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) will be held Friday, March 4, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the West Side Recreation and Park District Community Center auditorium, 500 Cascade Place.
BLM staff will make a brief presentation on the decisions about the Temblor SRMA made in the Bakersfield Resource Management Plan and review the current situation in the Temblors. The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for public comment and discussion of recreation management in the Temblor SRMA, both short and long term.
The Temblors have long been an important area for livestock, oil and gas, and other industries, but also have long been popular for off-highway vehicle riding, target shooting, hunting and other recreational uses. Over the past several years, the BLM has held a series of meetings and workshops with local and industry stakeholders regarding the Temblors area.
These dialogues led to the designation of approximately 25,000 acres of public lands in the Temblors as a Special Recreation Management Area in the recently approved Bakersfield plan.
"Now that the Bakersfield plan has been approved, the time has come to renew these discussions and begin to work collaboratively to plan for a future in the Temblors that ensures that recreation opportunities, industry and local community interests, and environmental concerns are all fairly addressed," said Gabe Garcia, BLM Bakersfield field manager.
The meeting will also serve as an opportunity to provide input on the BLM Bakersfield Field Office's preliminary submissions to the 2015-2016 California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division's grant and cooperative agreements program for funding for law enforcement and ground operations projects.
Those unable to attend the meeting but would like to comment, join the mailing list, or have any questions, may contact Harrison Friedman, BLM Recreation Planner, hfriedman@blm.gov (661) 391-6186.
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.