Why This Plan Is Being Prepared?
What is a Resource Management Plan (RMP)?
An RMP is a land use plan that describes broad multiple-use direction for managing public lands administered by the BLM. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act directs the BLM to develop such land use plans to provide for appropriate uses of public land. Decisions in land use plans guide future land management actions and subsequent site-specific implementation decisions. The RMP will accomplish the following:
- Establish goals and objectives for resource management and the measures needed to achieve those goals and objectives;
- Identify lands that are open and available for certain uses, including any restrictions, and lands that are closed to certain uses; and
- Provide comprehensive management direction for and/or allocate use of all resources.
The BLM's RMPs are intended to guide management activities for 15 to 20 years. Toward the end of this timeframe, BLM usually prepares a new plan to reflect the continually evolving public land use patterns, needs, and issues in a geographic area.
Public involvement is an important part of land use planning and opportunities for public involvement, and comments are provided throughout the planning process. The BLM really wants to know how people think their public lands should be used and managed.
Why is an RMP Being Prepared Now? The BLM-administered public lands within the Winnemucca Field Office Decision Area are managed in accordance with the decisions in the
Sonoma-Gerlach and Paradise-Denio Management Framework Plans, as amended in January 1999.
There are three main reasons that the Winnemucca RMP is being written:
- To respond to changing resource conditions;
- To respond to new issues and federal policies; and
- To prepare a comprehensive framework for managing public lands administered by the BLM.
In addition to striving to meet these goals, the RMP will establish new land use planning decisions to address issues identified through public scoping and agency and tribal collaboration. Management actions from the existing management framework plans may be brought forward into the RMP, as appropriate.
Why is BLM preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
NEPA requires the BLM to consider a range of alternatives in its planning process, and to analyze and disclose the potential environmental impacts of proposed RMP decisions. The alternatives and the impact analysis are documented in the EIS. The EIS process also provides opportunities for participation by the public, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and tribal governments in developing the RMP.
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