BOISE, Idaho- The Bureau of Land Management will hold 15 public meetings in six western states to identify issues and receive public comments. The purpose of these meetings is to gather input for the preparation of two Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEIS) aimed at reducing wildfires and restoring sagebrush steppe habitat.
The two PEISs will analyze future projects in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah and California. One will analyze fuels breaks, which slow the advance of wildfire and thereby reduce the threat to life and property, among other benefits. The other will analyze restoration work of burned areas, with an emphasis on replacing invasive species with native and other species more conducive to sagebrush-steppe health. BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation as we pursue our multiple-use mission. When completed, the two documents will provide standard analyses for fuels breaks and restoration projects, thereby reducing the need for in-depth evaluation on an individual project basis.
“The fuel break PEIS will help us to limit the size of wildfires and provide better protection for the public and firefighters," said John Ruhs, BLM Nevada State Director. “The restoration PEIS will speed the recovery of burned areas, helping the vegetation to recover faster and minimize the disruption of local economies."
BLM will accept comments until March 1, 2018. Comments may be submitted in writing at the public meetings, by email at GRSG_PEIS@blm.gov or by fax at (208) 373-3805. Written comments may also be sent via mail to Jonathan Beck, BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709. For more information and to view maps, please visit our website: https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG.
All of the scoping meetings listed will be conducted from 5-7 p.m.
Location
Date
Venue
Address
CALIFORNIA
Susanville, CA
2/6/18
BLM Eagle Field Office
2550 Riverside Drive Susanville, CA 96130
IDAHO
Boise, ID
1/30/18
Wyndham Garden Hotel, Boise Airport
3300 S. Vista Ave. Boise, ID 83705
Twin Falls, ID
2/13/18
Canyon Springs Red Lion Inn
1357 Blue Lakes Blvd.
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Idaho Falls, ID
2/14/18
Hilton Garden Inn
700 Lindsay Blvd.
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
NEVADA
Reno, NV
2/7/18
UNR, Crowley Student Union, Milt Glick Ballroom C
1644 N. Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89503
Elko, NV
2/8/18
Red Lion Hotel High Desert Inn Ballroom
2065 Idaho St.
Elko, NV 89801
Ely, NV
2/13/18
BLM Ely District Office
702 N. Industrial Way
Ely, NV 89301
Tonapah, NV 2/15/18 Tonapah Convention Center
301 Brougher Ave
Tonopah, NV 89049
OREGON
Lakeview, OR
2/7/18
BLM Lakeview Interagency District Office
1301 S. G Street
Lakeview, OR 97630
Burns, OR
2/8/18
Harney County Chamber of Commerce/Community Center
484 N. Broadway
Burns, OR 97720
UTAH
Salt Lake City, UT
2/15/18
Courtyard by Marriot Downtown
345 W. 100 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Snowville, UT
1/31/18
Snowville Elementary School
160 N. Stone Road
Snowville, UT 84336
Cedar City, UT
2/14/18
Heritage Center - Festival Hall
105 North 100 East
Cedar City, UT 84720
Vernal, UT
2/1/18
Uintah Conference Center
313 East 200 South
Vernal, UT 84078
WASHINGTON
Moses Lake, WA
2/1/18
Moses Lake Best Western
3000 W. Marina Dr.
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
