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The letter states:
“Dear Mr. Vilsack:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide the below scoping comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s (“BLM”) Colorado Resource Management Plans Amendment (“RMPA”) and Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) for Big Game.
Multiple Use Mandate
Mesa County appreciates the cooperative relationship with the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and fully supports the BLM in its statutory mandate of managing federal lands and resources for multiple use. Our federal lands play an important role in the health and wellbeing of our citizens and economy. We believe finding balance between protecting environmental and wildlife resources, fostering recreation, and encouraging economic development is possible. The BLM must ensure that the public lands under their purview are managed in the most appropriate and beneficial manner for all resources and user groups.
Conditions Assessment
It is imperative that the RMPA allows for continued reassessment of migratory patterns and winter habitatof the identified species. If Colorado Parks and Wildlife (“CPW”) identifies significant changes in the winter range or migration corridors, the RMPA should be adjust accordingly, returning the unused landscape to the underlying management designation.
Communication with Existing Leaseholders
Early, pre-decisional consultation with existing leaseholders should be established to identify effective mitigation efforts and management practices without hindering development as allowed by the terms of the original lease.
Economic and Socioeconomic Considerations
Development of the EIS should include:
1. A thorough analysis of lost opportunity costs for changes made to existing leases; and,
2. Socioeconomic cost of reduced access during extended winter closures.
Mapping
In order to ensure uniformity, Mesa County requests that the BLM utilize mapping from the CPW. Shapefiles or geographic information system (“GIS”) layers in another industry standard should be made available and updated throughout the development of the RMPA and EIS.”
Click here (video timestamp 01:52) to view the approval of the letter during the Board’s Aug. 30 administrative public hearing.
Click here to view the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mesa County and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) related to the letter.
“Dear Mr. Vilsack:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide the below scoping comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s (“BLM”) Colorado Resource Management Plans Amendment (“RMPA”) and Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) for Big Game.
Multiple Use Mandate
Mesa County appreciates the cooperative relationship with the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and fully supports the BLM in its statutory mandate of managing federal lands and resources for multiple use. Our federal lands play an important role in the health and wellbeing of our citizens and economy. We believe finding balance between protecting environmental and wildlife resources, fostering recreation, and encouraging economic development is possible. The BLM must ensure that the public lands under their purview are managed in the most appropriate and beneficial manner for all resources and user groups.
Conditions Assessment
It is imperative that the RMPA allows for continued reassessment of migratory patterns and winter habitatof the identified species. If Colorado Parks and Wildlife (“CPW”) identifies significant changes in the winter range or migration corridors, the RMPA should be adjust accordingly, returning the unused landscape to the underlying management designation.
Communication with Existing Leaseholders
Early, pre-decisional consultation with existing leaseholders should be established to identify effective mitigation efforts and management practices without hindering development as allowed by the terms of the original lease.
Economic and Socioeconomic Considerations
Development of the EIS should include:
1. A thorough analysis of lost opportunity costs for changes made to existing leases; and,
2. Socioeconomic cost of reduced access during extended winter closures.
Mapping
In order to ensure uniformity, Mesa County requests that the BLM utilize mapping from the CPW. Shapefiles or geographic information system (“GIS”) layers in another industry standard should be made available and updated throughout the development of the RMPA and EIS.”
Click here (video timestamp 01:52) to view the approval of the letter during the Board’s Aug. 30 administrative public hearing.
Click here to view the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mesa County and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) related to the letter.