The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Office is initiating a planning effort to prepare Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendments with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to revise sage-grouse and sagebrush management for the Rawlins, Rock Springs, Kemmerer, Pinedale, Casper, and Newcastle RMPs.

The RMP amendments will incorporate policies from BLM Wyoming’s Instruction Memoranda (IM) 2010-012 and 2010-013 (see http://www.blm.gov/wy/ st/en/programs/wildlife.html). Amending the existing RMPs will provide consistency applying the Wyoming sage-grouse policy throughout the State of Wyoming. The planning area for the RMP amendments encompasses approximately 15 million acres of public land and is located in Albany, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Goshen, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, Platte, Sublette, Sweetwater, Uinta, and Weston counties in Wyoming.

The BLM planning process and scoping period officially started with the publication of the Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on May 28, 2010. The scoping process provides the public an opportunity to learn about the RMP amendment and provide input that will help to identify relevant issues. BLM is requesting public scoping comments to identify issues associated with the planning effort. Useful comments are those that are specific, identify additional relevant issues, and/or determine the extent of the relevant issues. Comments can be submitted for consideration in the Draft RMP amendments through August 30, 2010.

There are many ways to provide scoping comments. BLM encourages the public to attend one of the upcoming public scoping meetings and provide input. The open house meetings will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Several information stations will be located within the meeting venue that will present information on key issues and the planning process.

Attendees may learn about the RMP amendment process, ask questions, and provide written comments. A court reporter will be available to document oral comments.

The dates and locations of the scoping meetings are as follows:

Tuesday, August 3, at Sublette County Weed and Pest, 12 South Bench Road, Pinedale.

Wednesday, August 4, at Best Western Fossil Country Inn and Suites, 760 U.S. Highway 189, Kemmerer.

Thursday, August 5, White Mountain Library, 2935 Sweetwater Drive, Rock Springs.

Wednesday, August 11, Weston County Senior Citizens Center, 627 Pine Street, Newcastle.

Thursday, August 12, Best Western Ramkota Hotel, 800 North Poplar Street, Casper.

Friday, August 13, Best Western Cotton Tree Inn, 2221 W. Spruce Street, Rawlins.

In addition to the scoping meetings, BLM will accept written comments through the following methods:

Mailed or delivered to:

BLM Wyoming State Office

5353 Yellowstone Road

Cheyenne, WY 82003

Attn: Chuck Otto, Project Coordinator

Or emailed to: Sagegrouse_ Amendment_WY@blm.gov.

Public comments are important and will be considered in the environmental analysis process. If you comment, your name will be added to the project mailing list in order to provide you with further information regarding the Wyoming Sage-Grouse Management RMP Amendment. To decline inclusion on the mailing list, please prominently state this in your comment.

For further information and/or to have your name added to the project mailing list, contact Chuck Otto, Project Coordinator, at the BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003; (307) 775-6256; email: Sagegrouse_Amendment_WY@blm.gov. Additional information may be accessed on the BLM website: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/amendments/sage-grouse.html

BLM will provide additional opportunities for public involvement throughout the planning process through a series of public meetings designed to keep the public informed of the planning process.



For the complete article see the 07-22-2010 issue.

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