U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

The BLM is preparing a Resource Management Plan Amendment and associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Tres Rios Field Office to evaluate management for 18 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) nominated during scoping for the Tres Rios Field Office RMP.  ACECs are public lands where special management is required to protect the area's values. To be eligible for designation as an ACEC, an area must meet criteria for both relevance and importance. An ACEC possesses significant historic, cultural or scenic values, fish or wildlife resources, natural process or systems, or natural hazards. The significance of these resources must be substantial.       The planning area is in Dolores, Montezuma, Montrose San Juan and San Miguel conties in southwest Colorado, encompassing about 130,000 acres of public land. The BLM will evaluate each area to determine whether it should be designated as an ACEC and if so, what management prescriptions are necessary to protect its values.