BLM announces public meetings to discuss the development of the Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan

The Bureau of Land Management will hold public meetings in early-to mid-June to seek input for the development of the Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan, which will guide the agency’s broad direction and management for public lands overseen by the Arcata and Redding field offices for the next 20 years.

The new resource management plan will guide management of natural and cultural resources on about 382,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Shasta, Butte, Tehama and Siskiyou counties. The plan will also address management of about 307,000 acres of subsurface mineral estate. The plan will replace the current Arcata and Redding field office resource management plans that have been in place for more than 20 years. Proper management of resources keeps public lands healthy and productive for current and future generations.

BLM natural and cultural resource management specialists will be available during the meetings to answer questions about development of plan, and participants can learn about opportunities to provide written comments on the issues and topics that the plan should address.

The meetings will address various resource management topics. Participants must register in advance for the virtual Zoom public meetings by visiting https://bit.ly/3PSBSh9. They will receive information about how to join the meetings. Participants can join as many meetings as they wish. Details and topic discussions are as follows:

In-person meetings:

• Monday, June 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, 1830 Hilltop Drive in Redding; and
• Wednesday, June 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Redwood Lodge picnic area in Redwood Park in Arcata.

During the in-person workshops, BLM specialists will be on site to answer questions about the plan and various management topics. Information on the comment process will be available.

Virtual meetings:

Thursday, June 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. Topics include forestry, vegetation management and fire management;

• Tuesday, June 14, from 9 to 11 a.m. Topics include fish and wildlife;
• Wednesday, June 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. Topics include socioeconomics, environmental justice, Tribal interests, cultural resources and public health and safety; and
• Thursday, June 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. Topics include recreation management, special designations, minerals management and lands and realty.

The BLM will be monitoring the status of COVID-19 cases and could cancel the in-person meetings if conditions warrant. Detailed information on the BLM’s planning process, including relevant documents, is available on the BLM’s ePlanning website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012803/510.

Original source can be found here.