This is close to home for me... Anybody in these Utah areas, I urge you to attend these meetings. Thanks.

------------------------------------------------------------

*****From Utah Shared Access Alliance******

BLM To Revise Mgmt. Plans In The Price, Vernal & Richfield Areas

Friends,


Most of you know that the Price, Vernal and Richfield offices of the BLM are in the process of revising their management plans. The Price office* has announced the schedule for public meetings to take input regarding the scoping phase** of the planning process. Meetings have been scheduled for the following locations and times:


Salt Lake City, Utah -- January 15, 2002 -- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM This is the Place State Park, 2200 Sunnyside Ave. Salt Lake City


Moab Utah -- January 16, 2001 -- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Ramada Inn Meeting Room, 182 South Main St., Moab


Grand Junction, Colorado -- January 17, 2002 -- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Grand Vista Hotel, 2790 Crossroads Blvd., Grand Junction


Green River, Utah -- January 30, 2002 -- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Green River City Hall, Green River


Castle Dale, Utah -- January 31, 2002 -- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM San Rafael Museum, 64 North 100 East, Castle Dale


Price, Utah -- January 31, 2002 -- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Holiday Inn Conference Center, 838 Westwood Blvd., Price


* NOTE: The Price office is home to several premier OHV destinations, including the Devils Racetrack, Eva Conover Road, Coal Wash, The Behind the Reef Road, The Dick Brass Motorcycle Trail System, Chimney Rock Trail System and others.


** NOTE: Scoping is part of the planning process where the bureau will determine the scope of the planning process. The agency will decide which management issues*** will be resolved and outline goals, opportunities and management objectives. Scoping offers the public the first and only opportunity to comment on the preliminary planning criteria****. Sometimes, preliminary alternatives***** are identified in the Scoping Phase


Scoping is the most important part of the entire planning process. Comment in the scoping phase is the most effective way to get the agency to consider the issues that are important to you, your organization and your community. Your input is most effective at this time.


***Issues -


Generally, an issue is a matter of controversy or dispute over resource management activities or land use that is well defined or topically discrete and entails alternatives among which to choose or decide. Planning issues may have two or more of the following characteristics: 1) Concern expressed by the public, state, tribe or local government, 2) Existing or potential serious deterioration of public land, 3) possible significant impacts, and 4) proposed uses which may or may not be in the best public interest and which may be in substantial conflict with other uses.


****Planning Criteria -


In the scoping phase, planning criteria are released for public review and comment. Planning criteria are the standards, rules, and other factors identified by interdisciplinary teams and land managers for use in formulating judgments about data collection, analysis, and decision making. These criteria assist in focusing the subject clarifying, and simplifying subsequent prescribed resource management planning actions by setting forth basic standards for deciding and judging certain components of the planning actions. The 43 CFR 1600 regulations require the consideration of planning criteria and mandate early public involvement in their development.


*****Alternatives -


Various management alternatives may be identified and proposed by individuals, organizations, tribal, state and local governments. If you would like to submit a management alternative, the scoping phase is the time to do it.


Important note:


Scoping is not only the first and best time for public input. It also establishes standing for appeal and protest of any unfair or unbalanced management decisions.


Uncertain about how to comment or what to say? Contact your land use officer or USA-ALL.


Please forward this message to friends and family that may enjoy these wonderful areas and keep an eye out for further updates and info from USA-ALL.


Thank you all for your involvement.
Brian Hawthorne,
Utah Shared Access Alliance
801-465-1145

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-930-1610-DO]


Utah Bureau of Land Management Price Field Office
Resource
Management Plan and the Richfield Field Office
Resource Management
Plan; Extension of Scoping Periods.

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of scoping periods.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Price Field Office and Richfield Field
Office published
Notices

[[Page 2668]]

of Intent to prepare Resource Management Plans (RMP)
in the Federal
Register on November 7 and November 1, 2001
respectively. These notices
officially started the scoping process for each
planning area.
Since that time, the public has expressed an
interest in extending
the scoping period for each of these plans. In order
to be responsive
to the public, the Utah Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) hereby extends
the scoping periods for both of the above mentioned
plans.
Comments, including names and addresses of
respondents, will be
available for public review at the BLM offices listed
in this notice
during regular business hours. If you wish to withhold
your name and or
address from public review or from disclosure under
the Freedom of
Information Act, you must state so prominently at the
beginning of your
written comments.
Public notification of scoping meetings and open
houses will be
made in local and regional publications at least 15
days prior to the
meetings being held. Meetings are expected to be held
in locally
affected communities as well as the Wasatch Front
area.
Even though the formal scoping period ends on the
dates described
below, opportunities to get involved in planning are
still available
for all of our planning efforts. You are welcome at
any time to contact
our offices which are involved in planning. Our
ability to consider
your input will become more limited the closer we get
to alternative
development and analysis. These phases are expected to
begin in late
summer and fall of 2002.

DATES: The scoping period for the Price Field Office
Resource
Management Plan is extended to February 1, 2002. The
scoping period for
the Richfield Field Office Resource Management Plan is
extended to
April 1, 2002. All comments regarding issues,
concerns, resource
values, or considerations for alternative development
are due by the
dates listed above and will be summarized in a
forthcoming Scoping
Summary Report.

ADDRESSES: For the Richfield Field Office Resource
Management Plan,
written comments should be sent to RMP Comments,
Bureau of Land
Management, Richfield Field Office, 150 East 900
North, Richfield Utah
84701; or faxed at 1-435-896-1550. For the Price Field
Office Resource
Management Plan, written comments should be sent to
RMP Comments,
Bureau of Land Management, Price Field Office, 125
South 600 West,
Price, Utah 84501; or faxed at 1-435-636-3657.
Documents pertinent to these proposals including
public comment may
be examined at either BLM Field Office during regular
business hours; 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you are interested
in the Price
Field Office RMP, contact Floyd Johnson, Supervisory
Planning
Coordinator at 1-435-636-3600 or e-mail
floyd_johnson@ut.blm.gov. If
you are interested in the Richfield Field Office RMP,
contact Frank
Erickson, Assistant Field Manager for Planning at
1-435-896-1532 or e-
mail frank_erickson@ut.blm.gov.

Dated: December 19, 2001.
Sally Wisely,
Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 02-1381 Filed 1-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P