BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
Proposed RMP and Final EIS for Ely Field Office Available
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for public lands and resources administered by the Ely Field Office, Nevada.
The Ely RMP planning area is located in east-central Nevada in Lincoln, White Pine and a portion of Nye counties. The planning area addressed in the RMP/EIS contains approximately 11.5 million acres of public lands administered by the BLM Ely Field Office and the Caliente Field Station.
An RMP can be compared to a county master plan, where management direction and objectives are defined for specific resources and areas. They address issues including livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat, off-highway vehicle use, camping and even energy and mineral development. In addition, the BLM has been considering nominations for potential Areas of Critical Concern (ACEC) and nominations of rivers for possible inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The PRMP/FEIS considers and analyzes five (5) alternatives, including the BLM's Proposed RMP, the No Action Alternative (continuation of existing management), and alternatives that emphasize restoration of ecological systems, commodity production, and exclusion of permitted discretionary uses. These alternatives were developed based on public input including public scoping comments; numerous meetings with local, county, state, tribal, and federal agencies (cooperating agencies); informal meetings with interested organizations upon their request; and public and agency comments on the Draft RMP/EIS. The alternatives provide for an array of alternative land use allocations and variable levels of commodity production and resource protection and restoration. After any protests are resolved and any pertinent adjustments are made, an approved RMP and Record of Decision are expected to be available by the end of 2007.
The issues addressed in the formulation of alternatives include maintenance and restoration of resiliency of vegetation within the Great Basin and Mojave Desert. Protection and management of habitats for special status species, upland and riparian habitat management, noxious weed control, commercial uses (including livestock grazing, special recreation permits, mineral development, oil and gas leasing, rights-of-way, and communication use areas), designation of areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs), travel management, land disposal, and management of wild horses.
Documents pertinent to the PRMP/FEIS will be available for public review at the Ely Field Office, 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, Nevada during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Review copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available at the following locations in and near the planning area:
BLM Caliente Field Station BLM Elko Field Office
BLM Ely Field Office BLM Las Vegas Field Office
BLM Nevada State Office Forest Service Ely Ranger District
Great Basin National Park Lincoln County Courthouse
Lincoln County Public Library Nye County Courthouse
Nye County Public Library White Pine County Courthouse
White Pine County Public Library
The PRMP/FEIS may also be viewed and downloaded in PDF format at the Ely RMP Web site at
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office.html.
Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. Electronic mail and facsimile protests will be considered only if the protesting party provides BLM with the original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under those conditions, the BLM will consider the electronic or facsimile version as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at (202) 452-5112, and e-mails to
Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses:
Regular Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035.
Overnight Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 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 your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For further information and/or to have your name added to the mailing list, contact Jeff Weeks, RMP Project Manager, 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, Nevada 89301, (775) 289-1825, or correspond by e-mail to
elyrmp@blm.gov.
PLEASE IF YOU RECREATE IN NEVADA, GET INVOLVED NOW! PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP OR INCREASE RECREATION AREAS.
Thanks in advance for your support,
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
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