dominguez-escalante national conservation area dominguez canyon wilderness
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Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Resource Management Plan Scoping Meetings August 30 and 31, 2010. 3. Developing a new Resource Management Plan (RMP). Planning Area. What is an RMP?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
Dominguez Canyon WildernessResource Management Plan
Scoping MeetingsAugust 30 and 31, 2010
Planning Area 209,610 acres (including 66,280 acres of
Wilderness
Cultural ResourcesLand HealthComprehensive Travel ManagementWilderness ManagementRecreationWild and Scenic River SuitabilityPurposes of the NCAOthers
Major Topics the Plan will address
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Developing a new Resource Management Plan (RMP)
What is an RMP? Long-range plan to ensure that the public
lands are managed sustainably (according to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act) and other laws, policies, etc.
Dominguez-Escalante NCA and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness
209,610 acres public land surface
Delta, Mesa and Montrose Counties
Managed cooperatively by the Uncompahgre and Grand Junction Field Offices of the BLM
Unit(s) of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) and National Wilderness Preservation System
Dominguez-Escalante and the NLCS
The NLCS includes*: • Nat’l Monument, • Nat’l Conservation Areas, • Wilderness Study Areas, • National scenic trail or
historic trails, • Components of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers system, • Wilderness, or • Other areas Congress
designates to be included
*Public Law 111-11
Dominguez-Escalante and the NLCS
The NLCS was established in order to:• Conserve, protect, and
restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations*
*Public Law 111-11
Dominguez-Escalante and the NLCS
The NLCS shall be managed: • in accordance with any
applicable law (including regulations) relating to any component of the system
• In a manner that protects the values for which the components of the system were designated.*
*Public Law 111-11
To preserve and protect for present and future generations the unique and important resources and values of the land….
Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009
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the water resources of area streams, based on seasonally available flows, that are necessary to support aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial species and communities.
PURPOSES of the NCA…..including the geological, cultural, archaeological, paleontological, natural, scientific, recreational, wilderness, wildlife,riparian, historical, educational, and scenic resources of the public land; and
• The RMP will provide for long-term management for resources within the NCA, most particularly the resources listed in the Purposes of the NCA, as well as the other public land resources that we manage within the NCA.
• The RMP will include a Comprehensive Travel Management Plan• The Dominguez-Escalante NCA Advisory Council will be formed to
provide input to the BLM regarding the RMP.
Relationship of the RMP to Purposes of the NCA and the NCA’s legislation
Examples of Decisions Made in RMPs:Fish & Wildlife
• Priority species and habitats are identified (density, diversity, size, public interest, remnant character, or age)
• Desired Habitat Conditions may be established • Desired population conditions may be established (drawing on Colorado Division of
Wildlife expertise); e.g., where there may be a population objective • Actions and Restrictions needed to achieve desired habitat and/or population
conditions, such as: • Priorities for land or vegetation restoration treatments, weed treatments• Seasonal travel restrictions
1. Ask the Public for Comments on Issues and Planning Criteria
2. Analyze Current Conditions of Resources, How they’re being managed today, and where we might have opportunities to improve
3. Develop different potential future management scenarios
4. Determine how each scenario might affect the environment
5. Identify the Preferred Alternative
6. Publish a Draft Resource Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement; provide a 90 day public comment period
7. Accept and consider public comments
8. Develop and publish a Proposed RMP/Final EIS
9. Offer a 30-day Protest Period and a 60-day Governor’s Consistency Review
10. Prepare Decision; Issue Resource Management Plan
Public Scoping
Analyze the Management Situation
Develop RMP Alternatives
Environmental Effects Analysis
Draft RMP/EIS (Document) Issued
Final RMP/EIS (Document) Issued
Protest Period
Decision
Public Comment
PLANNING PROCESS OVERVIEW
• Public Scoping building in what we heard during previous community focus groups prior to the NCA’s designation
• Recreation Focus Groups (Mesa State-September/October)
• Travel Management Meetings (November)
• Advisory Council (Future Working Groups)
• Public Comment on Draft RMP/Draft EIS
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING
Involvement with Other Agencies
• Cooperating Agency Status (Opportunity for other agencies to provide feedback and help)
• Tribal Consultation• US Fish and Wildlife Service
(Threatened and Endangered Species)
• Consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office
RMP Schedule
Key Milestones
August 2010: Public Scoping
December 2010: Compete Analysis of the Management Situation;
January 2011: Begin Alternative development
Draft RMP: Early 2012
Final RMP: Late 2012
Email address:[email protected]
Website:www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/denca.html