BLM Welcomes Public Input on Draft Management Plan for Northwest California Public Lands

This is a press release from the Bureau of Land Management:

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on the draft Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for public lands managed by the Redding and Arcata field offices. The comment period will end by Dec. 28. 

“Public input is critical to develop this plan that will guide our management into the future,” said Dereck Wilson, manager of the BLM’s Northern California District. “We encourage the public to reflect on the importance of these public lands in northwest California and their significant natural and cultural resources.” 

The Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan will guide management of approximately 382,200 acres of public land and approximately 295,100 acres of subsurface minerals in Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Tehama and Butte counties for the next 15 to 20 years. 

The integrated plan will replace the resource management plans for the Redding and Arcata field offices put into place in the mid-1990s. The need for a new resource management plan is due to increasing population and changing use patterns; to provide for a broad array of recreation uses; wilderness management; protect and conserve Wild & Scenic Rivers and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern; and consolidate BLM-managed public lands to conserve significant resources while providing public access. 

The BLM will collaborate with local, state and federal agencies as well as Tribal partners to complete the plan. Public comments will help prepare the final environmental analysis and proposed resource management plan. 

The planning area includes a great diversity of lands ranging from north coast beaches and dunes—to the Central Valley and Sacramento River—to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These public lands provide a wide array of recreational opportunities, including wilderness trails, hunting areas, off-highway riding areas, mountain bike trails and scenic vistas. A wide range of uses are supported by these lands, including habitat for fish and wildlife, livestock grazing, mining, timber production and firewood collecting. 

Public participation in the planning process will help the BLM develop a land use plan that reflects the values and needs of the people living in the region and those who visit. 

Public comments may be submitted via email to [email protected],
online at BLM NEPA Register, hand delivered, or mailed to the BLM Arcata Field Office at 1695 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA, 95521-4573.

More information is available from the BLM Arcata Field Office at 707-825-2300, or the BLM Redding Field Office at 530-224-2100.