blm lower sonoran field office arizona. blm lower sonoran field office arizona
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Lower Sonoran and Sonoran Desert National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement
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Purpose of Meeting Provide information
regarding the LS/SDNM Draft Resource Mgt Plan (RMP)
Encourage and facilitate public participation in the development of the Plan
Answer clarifying questions
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Meeting Administration
Welcome !
Location of restrooms & telephones Please turn-off or silence
pagers and cell phones
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Meeting Administration
Critique ideas, not people…show respect for the views of others
What is the rule on confidentiality? Listen with an open mind – many
different users Avoid side conversations Speak for yourself…in your own words Thirty second soapbox? Enjoy your time together
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Tonight’s Agenda
Welcome and introductions Resource Management Plan
presentation Participant discussion - please hold
questions until this portion of the agenda Open House
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Introductions
Phoenix District Manager – Angie Bulletts
Lower Sonoran Field Office Mgr – Emily Garber
Sonoran Desert National Monument Mgr – Rich Hanson
Planning & Environmental Coordinator – Penny Foreman
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Bureau of Land Management
Federal Land Policy & Mgt Act, 1976
Sustain the health, productivity, and diversity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Manage multiple resources Periodically inventory resources &
project future use through land use planning.
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Need for New Planto guide future land mgt actions and
subsequent site-specific decisions
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Encroaching urban-interface New & changing land uses Need to consolidate several planning documents 2001 Presidential Proclamation of SDNM
Resource Mgt Planning (RMP) vs. Project Planning
RMP - Planning at the landscape level – decide desired resource conditions, determine emphases, allocations
Project Planning - Project-specific environmental analysis (NEPA) required before decisions can be made & implemented on the ground
This DRMP: Project-level analyses for:
SDNM livestock grazing; travel management; and target shooting
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Planning Area 1.4 million surface
acres Sonoran Desert Nat’l
Mon. (486,400 acres) Anza Nat’l Historic
Trail Six Wilderness Areas Four endangered &
four candidate species
High interest in utility-scale solar energy development
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One DocumentTwo Decision Areas
Two Decision Areas: Sonoran Desert
National Monument – 486,400 acres
Lower Sonoran – 930,200 acres
At the end of the process, there will be two Records of Decision
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Outreach Extensive scoping in 2003 at 11
public meetings – received >6000 comments
Ongoing engagement with the Resource Advisory Council (RAC), government agencies, user interests, environmental groups and tribes.
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Key Scoping Issue Areas
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Management Topics
Renewable and traditional energy facilities
T&E habitat, wildlife corridors and water developments
Wilderness Characteristics
Transportation and access
Compatibility of livestock grazing with protecting monument objects in the SDNM
Recreational target shooting
Alternatives
LS-SDNM DRMP/EISAlternative A No action: Current management (baseline
for resource and land use allocations)
Alternative B Resource use and development emphasis
Alternative C Balance of resource use and protection
Alternative D Resource protection emphasis
Alternative E Preferred
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Provide a range of reasonable combinations of resource uses and mgt practices developed to address issues identified during scoping that offer distinct choice among potential mgt strategies.
Utility-Scale Renewable Energy
GIS analysis to identify potential conflicts?
Exclude from development
NLCS, WC, ACECs, Fred J. Weiler (PL 1015) Greenbelt, Sentinel Plain
Avoidance
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Collaboration with Restoration Design Energy Project (RDEP) . Solar PEIS and RDEP will amend RMPs, if necessary. Preferred alternative does not conflict with other ongoing analyses .
Lower Sonoran:
Wildlife Wildlife WatersIncrease, improve or maintain
Wildlife Movement Corridors – assist wildlife in safepassage from one area to another
Wildlife Habitat Areas – maintain & improve habitat for:
Desert tortoise, mule deer, bighorn sheep, Sonoran pronghorn, lesser-long-nosed bat, & cactus ferruginous pygmy owl
Preferred: Gila Bend Mountains (all other WHAs designated as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern)
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Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
ACECs in Preferred: Coffeepot-
Batamote Cuerda de Lena Gila River
Terraces and Lower Gila Historic Trails
Saddle Mountain Outstanding Natural Area
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Merit special mgt attention to protect resources and prevent irreparable damage (Appendix V)
Lands Managed to Protect Wilderness Characteristics
Congress enacts laws establishing Wilderness Areas.BLM allocates acreage to be managed to maintain wilderness characteristicsLower Sonoran FO: Considered 276,500 acres Preferred: 55,400 acres
Sonoran Desert National Monument Considered 153,000 acres Preferred: 110,900 acres (3 units)
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Travel ManagementComprehensive OHV Route Inventory for
both decision areas.Current Mgt: All vehicles limited to
established & inventoried routes.
LSFO: No route designations in DRMP. Preferred: Travel limited to existing roads until further
planning, public involvement and route designation
Designates areas closed to motorized travel or limited to existing roads.
One Open Motorized area - 40-acres north of Ajo.
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SDNM Travel ManagementRoute-specific designations for 631.5
miles of inventoried routesPreferred: 432.9 miles designated
routes (all others closed)
Considerations: preserve monument objects & values sustain wildlife habitat in washes & uplands protect & reduce erosion of sensitive soils reduce redundant routes protect historic properties/cultural resources reduce habitat fragmentation
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Livestock Grazing LOWER SONORAN SDNM Designate as
perennial, perennial/ephemeral, or ephemeral, as appropriate
Consider season of use adjustments
Further analyses for allotment management plan NEPA
Land Health Evaluation (LHE) completed for six SDNM allotments
Compatibility analysis completed (Append. E)
Finding – modified grazing practices would be compatible.
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Recreational Target Shooting LOWER SONORAN SDNM All 930,200 acres
will remain open for recreational target shooting
Activity may be adaptively managed due to safety concerns or resource conflicts
Analysis (Appendix G): 80% of SDNM acres
had monument objects that could be impacted by target shooting.
20% of acreage did not provide adequate backstops for shooting
Findings used to develop alternativesPreferred: target shooting would not be allowed
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Hunting would continue inaccordance with federal, state and local laws
How to participate in the planning process
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August 26, 2011 – DRMP publishedNovember 25, 2011 – Comment period ends
Substantive Comments: Reasonably question
accuracy of: Information; Assumptions; Methodology;
Present new information; Provide reasonable
alternatives; Cause revision of
alternative(s); Be specific, detailed,
factual.
How to participate in the planning process
Email:[email protected]
Mail: BLM, 21605 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85027
Fax: 623-580-5580
ePlanning –Access now (we will help) if ready to comment or access by web address below later
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http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/planning/son_des.html
Provide Comments by November 25, 2011 via:
Next StepsB
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RMP Timetable
Aug 26, 2011 Draft Resource Mgt Plan released
Oct 2011 Public meetings held
Nov 25, 2011 Public Comment Period Ends;Prepare Proposed RMP
May 2012 Proposed Resource Mgt Plan / Final EIS released
June 2012 (30 days)
Protest period (for those with “standing”)
Sept 2012 2 Records of Decision signed
Oct 2012 (30 days)
Appeal period (implementation decisions)
Open House Opportunity
National Landscape Conservation System
Wildlife Habitat Recreation
Livestock Grazing Cultural Resources Travel Management Energy & Land Use Minerals
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BLM planning team are here to answer questions specific to DRMP
You may provide comments this evening by filling out a comment form at our comment table or entering your comment via ePlanning.Or, deliver comments to BLM (by any methods mentioned previously) no later than November 25, 2011.
Thank You!
We are so pleased you joined us tonight.
Thank you for sharing your evening to help improve management of our Public Land.
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