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Why are the Kremmling Field Office and Glenwood Springs Field Office revising their Resource Management Plans?

The Kremmling Field Office (KFO) and Glenwood Springs Field Office (GSFO), Colorado Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are developing a Resource Management Plan (RMP) for all the federal surface and mineral estate managed by BLM with each FO boundary (see “Map” menu). As part of the RMP revision process, the FOs will be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the impacts of the plan’s decisions. The FOs are simultaneously revising their respective RMPs for the BLM-administered public lands within each FO under one EIS. There will be separate Record of Decisions (RODs) for each RMP. The lands within the FOs are currently being managed according to the 1984 Kremmling RMP and the 1984 Glenwood Springs RMP.

RMP revisions are necessary if monitoring and evaluation findings, new data, new or revised policy, or changes in circumstances indicate that decisions for an entire plan or a major portion of the plan no longer serve as a useful guide for management. There is a need to revise the RMPs based upon a number of new issues such as increased recreation demand and use and rapidly expanding urban interface areas; and new policy issues such as new guidance on recreation and comprehensive travel management and transportation. [Note: to learn more about preliminary issues, see Preparation Plan under "Documents" - “RMP Revision Documents.”]

Land use plans, or RMPs, ensure that the public lands are managed in accordance with the intent of Congress as stated in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLMPA) (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield. As required by FLPMA and BLM policy, the public lands must be managed in a manner that protects the quality of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmospheric, water resource, and archaeological values; that, where appropriate, will preserve and protect certain public lands in their natural condition; that will provide food and habitat for fish, wildlife, and domestic animals; that will provide for outdoor recreation and human occupancy and use; that recognizes the Nation’s need for domestic sources of minerals, food, timber, and fiber from the public lands by encouraging collaboration and public participation throughout the planning process. [Note: to learn more about the planning process, see “RMP Process” menu.]

What decisions will the BLM be making as part of the revision process?

Decisions in RMPs guide future land management actions and subsequent site-specific implementation decisions. Decisions contained in RMPs are called land use plan decisions. These broad-scale decisions guide future land management actions and subsequent site-specific implementation decisions. Land use plan decisions fall into two categories:

(1) Desired outcomes (goals and objectives)
(2) Management actions and allowable uses to achieve outcomes

The BLM Land Use Planning Handbook (H-1601-1), Appendix C (see "Documents" - “BLM Planning & NEPA Guidance Documents” menu), provides program-specific guidance for land use plan and implementation decisions. During the RMP preparation, each program is required to address the land use plan decision guidance contained in Appendix C. In most programs, implementation decisions are not made during the RMP revision. However, the guidance for Comprehensive Trails and Travel Management requires the BLM to make implementation decisions to the extent practical (i.e. completing a defined travel management network).

Implementation decisions generally constitute the BLM’s final approval allowing on-the-ground actions to proceed. These types of decisions require site-specific planning and NEPA analysis. Thus, for recreation and travel management, the FOs will be making both land use plan decisions and implementation decisions as part of this revision effort. [Note: to learn more about the recreation and travel management planning process, see “Travel Management Planning Process” menu.]

How can you get involved?

An integral component of the RMP revisions is public and community involvement. The BLM will be developing a public involvement strategy this fall. However, the BLM will not begin formal scoping until the early 2007. Scoping is the early and open process for determining the scope of issues to be address and for identifying the significant issues related to a Proposed Action (i.e. RMP revision).

As part of scoping, the BLM will be holding meetings/open houses throughout the planning areas, inviting the participation of Cooperating Agencies, and undertaking a comprehensive outreach effort to solicit information from the public regarding recreation and travel management planning. The BLM anticipates that various partners, Cooperating Agencies, stakeholders, and the Northwest Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will assist in providing a wide variety of data in support of this effort.

This website is your source of information for participating in the planning process. Here you will find the latest information on the development of the RMP and EIS, including background documents, maps, meeting announcements, published bulletins, and other documents.

If you’d like to learn more about the process, or want to add yourself to the project mailing list, see “Contact Information” menu or contact Joe Stout, Project Manager, at Joe_Stout@blm.gov, 970-724-3003.