BLM hosts meeting on resource management plan

As part of the draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Carson City District, the Bureau of Land Management will host five public meetings beginning this week.

Fallon will host a meeting on Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at the convention center. This will be an open house format where participants can ask questions and visit various resource stations with formal presentations at 5:15 p.m.

Five alternatives were analyzed in the Draft RMP/EIS to include the following:

• Alternative A is defined as a continuation of the current management direction contained in the 2001 Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and its amendments and changes since incorporation. This alternative describes the current goals and actions for management of resources and land uses in the planning area. The management direction could also be modified by current laws, regulations, and policies.

• Alternative B resource use and economic development (e.g., livestock grazing, energy, mineral development, and recreation) in the planning area. This alternative has the fewest restrictions to development and land use.

Potential impacts on sensitive resources (e.g., soils and sensitive plant habitat) would be mitigated on a case-by-case basis. Sustainable development concepts are included to maintain economic productivity.

• Alternative C would develop management strategies to preserve and protect ecosystem health and resource values across the planning area, while providing multiple uses. This alternative includes the most special designations, with specific measures to protect or enhance resource values within these areas.

This alternative emphasizes active and specific measures to protect and enhance vegetation and habitat for special status species, fish, and wildlife. Likewise, this alternative would reflect a reduction in resource production goals for forage, renewable energy, and minerals. Resource production would generally be secondary to restoring and protecting important habitats, such as sagebrush and riparian areas.

• Alternative D emphasizes the increased demand on BLM-administered lands within the urban interface area. The interface is a set of conditions that affect resources and how they can be managed, rather than a geographic place. It is an area or zone where human infrastructure and urban development meet or intermingle with undeveloped BLM-administered land.

Enhanced community development through a change in land tenure would be reflected. Alternative D provides for increased management of recreational opportunities in areas of high use while reducing conflict between use of the BLM-administered land and adjacent private landowners.

• Alternative E, Agency Preferred, represents a mix of management actions that best resolve the issues identified from the assessment of need for changing management, concerns raised during public scoping, and future management considerations.

This alternative would reflect a combination of goals and objectives for all values and programs. This alternative emphasizes an intermediate level of protection, restoration, enhancement, and use of resources and services to meet ongoing programs and land uses. The management strategy would be accomplished by using a variety of proactive and prescriptive measures that would protect vegetation and habitat and would promote the continuation of multiple-use management.

Copies of the Draft RMP/EIS are available for public inspection at Churchill County planning department and on the BLM website at http://on.doi.gov/1uYBNGT.