News Release

For Release: Sept. 13, 2006
Contact: Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332
CA-N-06-89

BLM Northeast California Advisory Council to Meet in Cedarville

The Bureau of Land Management's Northeast California Resource Advisory Council will discuss development of draft resource management plans for public land in the region, when they hold a field tour and meeting Thursday and Friday, Sept. 21 and 22, at the BLM Surprise Field Office, 602 Cressler St. in Cedarville.

On Thursday, the members meet at 10 a.m. at the BLM field office and depart immediately for a tour to the Wall Canyon area. Members of the public are welcome on the tour. They should bring lunch and water, and plan on providing their own transportation in a high-clearance vehicle.

On Friday, the meeting begins at 8 a.m. in the BLM conference room. Council members will spend the bulk of the morning discussing public comments received on draft resource management plans and environmental impact statements (RMP/EIS) for nearly three million acres of public land managed by the Alturas, Eagle Lake and Surprise field offices.

BLM offices are now reviewing comments received on the draft plans as they prepare proposed final RMPs and final EIS documents for each field office. The advisory council has worked closely with BLM managers in development of the draft land use plans.

The meeting will be open to public comments at 11 a.m. Anyone is welcome to address the council on any public land management topic. The council chair could establish a time limit to accommodate all speakers.

In other matters, the council will hear a status report on development of a multi-jurisdictional management plan and environmental impact statement for restoration of sagebrush-steppe ecosystems in northeast California and extreme northwest Nevada. Modoc County, the BLM and the Modoc National Forest are jointly developing the plan to improve conditions in areas that have been impacted by the spread of western juniper.

The council will also hear status reports from the BLM's California state office and from managers in Alturas, Cedarville and Susanville.

The 15-member council, one of 24 such advisory councils in the western states, is comprised of members who represent broad natural resource interests including livestock grazing, environmental groups, recreation, wild horse and burro management, history and archaeology, the academic sector, local government and the public at large.

-BLM-

Northern California Public Affairs 2950 Riverside Drive Susanville, CA 96130