Date: September 17, 2003

CONTACT: Jamie Thompson at (775) 623-1500

Proposed Management Plan For Black Rock National Conservation Area Available For Public Review

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced that the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan (FEIS/PRMP) for the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA) is available for review by the public. NCA Manager Dave Cooper says, “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the notice of availability in the Federal Register on Friday, September 12th, and BLM published a similar notice today, Wednesday, September 17th. The Bureau has worked diligently to meet the December 20, 2003 deadline prescribed by Congress in the NCA Act of 2000 for completion of a resource management plan for the NCA and its ten associated wilderness areas. This is an important milestone in that process.”

The planning area is located north and east of Gerlach, Nevada or 100 to 150 miles northeast of Reno. The NCA was created by an act of Congress on December 21, 2000 and includes over 1,200,000 acres of federal lands (about the size of the State of Delaware). Included are the Black Rock Desert Playa (one of the flattest places on Earth), the 315,000-acre Black Rock Desert Wilderness (largest Wilderness administered by BLM), numerous mountain ranges and hot springs, and several historic emigrant trails used during the westward migration to Oregon and California in the early and middle 19th century.

Congress gave the area special designation in the NCA Act of 2000 to “conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the unique and nationally important historical, cultural, paleontological, scenic, scientific, biological, educational, wildlife, riparian, wilderness, endangered species, and recreational values and resources associated with the Applegate-Lassen and Nobles Trails corridors and surrounding areas.”

“Comments received from the public concerning the Draft EIS / Draft RMP last spring were analyzed and used to develop the Final EIS and Proposed RMP,” explained NCA Planning Lead Ester Hutchison. Local repositories where the FEIS/PRMP can be viewed are located at the: University of Nevada-Reno Library, Humboldt County Library, BLM NV Carson City Field Office, BLM NV State Office, Gerlach NV Library, Reno NV Public Library, Pershing County NV Public Library, Lyon County NV Library Branches in Dayton and Fernley NV, BLM CA Surprise Field Office, Modoc County CA Library Branches in Cedarville and Alturas CA, Sacramento Public Library, BLM CA Eagle Lake Field Office, and BLM NV Winnemucca Field Office.

The documents can also be accessed on-line at www.blackrockhighrock.org. The on-line documents are downloadable and both the on-line and CD documents are in a searchable format.
To reduce the cost to taxpayers, those who wish to order copies of the document are encouraged to request the CD format rather than a printed hardcopy. However, CDs and hard copies of the FEIS/PRMP can be ordered at the website.

CD’s or hard copies can also be requested by mail at: NCA Proposed Plan, Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca Field Office, 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445-2921, or by calling that office at (775) 623-1500. It is important to specify whether you want the document as a CD or in the 900-page, three-volume, hardcopy form, and to give your complete name and mailing address.

“Public participation in this planning process has been vital,” adds Mr. Cooper, “A lot of people have donated many hours of their valuable time to help us develop a plan that has benefited from the widest possible cross section of public opinion. The Bureau appreciates this input very much.”

People who participated in the planning process and who have an interest that may be adversely affected, may protest the plan to the BLM by no later than the close of business on October 17, 2003. Information on who can file a protest and how is available at the planning website at www.blackrockhighrock.org and in the inside cover of the document. Questions about the FEIS/PRMP or the protest process should be directed to Dave Cooper, NCA Manager, at the Winnemucca Field Office at (775) 623-1500, or by mail to: Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca Field Office, 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445-2921.

“We expect to complete the Record of Decision and Final Resource Management Plan this winter. This will bring to a close three years of public meetings and consultation with Tribes, State, local and other federal agencies, and interested groups and individuals,” added Ms. Hutchison.

- BLM -