| Contacts: | Angel Martinez 505.761.8918 |
BLM Announces Extension of Comment Period for the Draft Rio Puerco RMP/EIS
Albuquerque, New Mexico–The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rio Puerco Field Office has extended the public comment period for the Rio Puerco Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to November 2, 2012. The original 90-day comment period had been scheduled to end on October 11, 2012. The new closing date will provide the public additional time to review the Draft RMP/EIS and supporting documents. All comments must now be received by close of business at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 2, 2012.
The Rio Puerco Draft RMP/EIS updates BLM’s management of public lands in Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia Counties in central New Mexico. The Draft RMP/EIS analyzes management decisions for approximately 744,387 acres of BLM-administered surface lands and 3.4 million acres of Federal subsurface mineral estate. When approved, this RMP will replace the 1986 Rio Puerco RMP and subsequent amendments, and will guide the management of public lands administered by the Rio Puerco Field Office into the future.
For information on how to submit comments, download a copy of the Draft RMP/EIS, or learn where you can view a copy, please visit the website at http://www.blm.gov/riopuerco
Responses to substantive comments received during the public comment period will be included in the Proposed RMP and Final EIS.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.