Filing a Plan Protest

Release of the proposed RMP and final EIS initiates a 30-day protest period for any person who previously participated in the planning process and has an interest that is (or may be) adversely affected by the proposed plan. 

The protest regulations specify the required elements for filing a valid protest.  To help guide you through this process, we have created a Critical Item Checklist.  As much as possible, cite specific planning documents or available planning records (e.g. meeting minutes or summaries, correspondence, etc.) in your protest. 

All protests must be in writing and filed with the BLM Director, either as a hard copy or electronically via BLM’s ePlanning website by the close of the protest period.  The only electronic protests the BLM will accept are those filed through ePlanning.  All protest letters sent to the BLM via fax or e-mail will be considered invalid unless a properly filed protest is also submitted.

The ePlanning page for each planning project will contain a tool for submitting a valid protest electronically.  The link to the respective ePlanning project page where a protest may be filed will be included in the Notice of Availability for the proposed RMP and final EIS, and in related news releases and Dear Reader letters.

If you do not have the ability to file your protest electronically, hard copy protests must be mailed to the following address, postmarked by the close of the protest period:

Regular and Overnight Mail:
BLM Director
Attention: Protest Coordinator (HQ210)
Denver Federal Center, Building 40 (Door W-4)
Lakewood, CO 80215 

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, be advised that your entire protest – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can ask us in your protest to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.