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BOISE, Idaho– The Bureau of Land Management will hold 15 public meetings in six western states to identify issues and receive public comments.  The purpose of these meetings is to gather input for the preparation of two Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEIS) aimed at reducing wildfires and restoring sagebrush steppe habitat. 

The two PEISs will analyze future projects in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah and California.  One will analyze fuels breaks, which slow the advance of wildfire and thereby reduce the threat to life and property, among other benefits.  The other will analyze restoration work of burned areas, with an emphasis on replacing invasive species with native and other species more conducive to sagebrush-steppe health.  BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation as we pursue our multiple-use mission. When completed, the two documents will provide standard analyses for fuels breaks and restoration projects, thereby reducing the need for in-depth evaluation on an individual project basis.

“The fuel break PEIS will help us to limit the size of wildfires and provide better protection for the public and firefighters,” said John Ruhs, BLM Nevada State Director.  “The restoration PEIS will speed the recovery of burned areas, helping the vegetation to recover faster and minimize the disruption of local economies.”

BLM will accept comments until March 1, 2018.  Comments may be submitted in writing at the public meetings, by email at GRSG_PEIS@blm.gov or by fax at (208) 373-3805.  Written comments may also be sent via mail to Jonathan Beck, BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709. For more information and to view maps, please visit our website: https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG. 

All of the scoping meetings listed will be conducted from 5-7 p.m.