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New Planning Initiatives

Managing approximately 23 million surface acres of public land, BLM-Utah realizes public involvement in our management strategies is critical. Planning emphasizes a collaborative environment in which local, State, and Tribal governments, as well as the public, user groups, and industry work with the BLM to identify appropriate multiple uses of the public lands.

The land-use planning process allows for extensive public involvement and provides a blueprint of how the public land should be managed. BLM Utah’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the public land, and land-use planning is a vital to our mission.

Currently six of our eleven field offices are conducting new planning efforts. The links below provide specific information for each of these planning efforts. BLM's goal is to assure that the public is involved in the planning process right from the start. While collaborating with tribal, state, and local governments, BLM invites interested parties to participate so their needs can be addressed early in the process. When Resource Management Plans (RMPs) are ready for review and public comment, BLM Utah makes copies available to all field offices and on the Internet as well as to people who request to be on our mailing lists. We encourage you to get involved in the planning process to help determine how the public lands will be managed.

Under Federal law, BLM Utah prepares land-use plans that serve as the basis for all activities occurring on BLM-managed lands.

Some issues of interest include:

		Wild and Scenic Rivers: The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requires that the BLM make wild and scenic river considerations during the land use planning process. See more information on wild and scenic river considerations in Utah.
		Areas of Critical Environmental Concerns (ACECs): Planning will consider ACEC nominations for special places throughout Utah. See the public process for ACEC designations.
		Off-Highway Vehicle Management: BLM’s land use plans will take a hard look at how off-highway vehicle use is managed on the public lands.
		Energy: The completion of a national inventory of oil and gas resources on federal lands has prompted Utah BLM’s expedited land use plan revisions. See how energy is being addressed in the planning process and how cooperators and the public are taking part.
		Wilderness Characteristics: Consideration of wilderness characteristics such as solitude, primitive recreation, or naturalness is a part of the land use planning process and considered along with all other resource values and uses.

Planning Issues:
Land Use Plans establish guidance objectives, policies and management actions for public lands administered by BLM. During the planning process, a wide variety of issues are addressed. These include, but are not limited to: 

° Air Quality ° Cultural & Paleontology ° Fire Management ° Woodland Management ° Hazardous Materials ° Lands & Realty ° Rangeland Management ° Minerals Management ° Off-Highway Vehicle Use ° Recreation

° Riparian Resources ° Socio-economic ° Vegetation & Special Status Plants  ° Visual Resources ° Watersheds & Water Quality ° Wilderness ° Wild & Scenic Rivers ° Special Management Areas ° Wildlife Habitat & Special Status Species

As part of the Resource Management Plans (RMP), a supporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared. Both the RMP and EIS will be developed concurrently with a full range of public participation. Throughout the project, local interests and residents will have opportunities to participate and share their insights and comments. 

New Planning Initiatives Existing Land Use Plans, RMPs, MFPs Purpose of Planning Steps in Planning Process BLM's Planning Handbook BLM's Planning Manual NEPA Guidance Oil Shale & Tar Sands Leasing Programmatic EIS