National off-highway vehicle management strategy

146 Pages·2000·14.4 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management

BUMLIBRARY
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National Off-Highv\fay Vehicle
Management Strategy
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U.S. Departmentofthe Interior
Bureau ofLand Management
December 2000
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P.OV.BOX25047
DENVER,COLORADO 80225
TheBureauofLandManagementisresponsibleforthebalancedmanagementofthe
publiclandsandresourcesandtheirvariousvaluessothattheyareconsideredina
combinationthatwillbestservetheneedsoftheAmericanpeople.Managementisbased
upontheprincipalsofmultipleuseandsustainedyield;acombinationofusesthattakeinto
accountthelong-termneedsoffuturegenerationsforrenewableandnonrenewable
resources.Theseresourcesincluderecreation,range,timber,minerals,watershed,fish
andwildlife,wildernessandnatural,scenic,scientific,andculturalvalues.

U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior
BureauofLandManagement
Washington,DC
AttachedforyourreviewandcommentisthedraftNationalOff-HighwayVehicle(OHV)ManagementStrategy.
ThestrategyoffersguidanceandrecommendationstohelpBLMfieldofficescreateaframeworkforreviewing
andresolvinglocalOHV-relatedissues.ItwillalsohelpBLMfieldmanagersimplementon-the-groundsolutions
toOHVissues,protectpubliclandresources,andmakemoreeffectiveuseofexistingstaffandfunding.
Propermanagementofpublic landsisvitalforthenaturalecosystemsthattheysupportandfortheactivities
andresourcestheyprovide. Theuseofoff-highwayvehicles(OHVs)onBLM-administeredpubliclandshas
increasedsubstantiallyinrecentyears,andtherehasbeenincreasingconcernabouttheimpactofalltypes
ofrecreational activities, including OHV use, onthe264 million acres ofpublicland resources. The
managementchallengesposedbyOHVuseinthefast-growingWesthavebecomeveryapparent,especially
sincetheBLM'sland-useplans,budgets,andstaffinglevelshavenotkeptpacewithOHVtechnologyand
popularity. Thesefactors,alongwithlitigationoverOHVmanagementissues,havecreatedtheneedfora
NationalOHVManagementStrategy.
InAugust,2000,theBLMaskedthepublicforideasandproposedsolutionsforimprovingmanagementofthe
OHVprogram.TheBLMreceivedthousandsofcommentsandsuggestionsduringthisscopingperiodandhas
drawnonthese,aswellassuggestionsfromstateandlocalgovernments,theBLM'sResourceAdvisory
Councils(RAGs),andBLMemployees,todevelopthisStrategy. Thecommentsandsuggestionsfocusedon
severalkeyareasandwerefoundtoprovidemanypointswhereconsensusandcommongroundexisted.
ThesecommentswillcontinuetohelptheBLMfindsolutionstoOHVmanagementissues.
Weareagainrequestingyourparticipationbyreviewingthisdocumentandbyprovidingsubstantivecomments
tous. AllcommentswillbefullyevaluatedandconsideredfordevelopmentofthefinalNationalOff-Highway
ManagementStrategy.
BecauseoftheimmenseinterestthepublichasshownintheOHVmanagementonBLM-administeredpublic
lands,wearerequestingthatyourcommentsspecificallyrelatetothisdocument. Theattachedformwill
facilitatecompilationandreviewofthecommentssubmitted;however,youarenotrequiredtousetheform.
Allcommentsreceivedduringthecommentperiodwillbeaccepted. (Thestrategyandanelectroniccomment
formarealsoavailableontheinternetatwww.blm.qov.)
Comments,includingnamesandstreetaddressesofrespondentswillbeavailableforpublicreviewatthe
BureauofLandManagement,EquityBuilding,Room204,1620LStreetNW,Washington,DCfrom8:30a.m.
to4:30p.m.,MondaythroughFriday,exceptholidays. Individualrespondentsmayrequestconfidentiality.Jf
youwishtowithholdyournameoraddressfrompublicrevieworfromdisclosureundertheFreedomof
InformationAct,voumuststatethisprominentlyatthebeginningofyourcomments. Suchrequestswillbe
honoredtotheextentallowedbylaw. Allsubmissionsfromorganizationsorbusinesses,andfromindividuals
identifyingthemselvesasrepresentativesorofficialsoforganizationsorbusinesses,willbemadeavailablefor
publicinspectionintheirentirety.
Wewould liketotakethisopportunitytoexpress ourappreciationforyourcontinued interestin the
w managementofyourpubliclandsandforyourparticipationinthisplanningprocess.
TheBureauofLandManagement

BLMPublishesDraftNationalOff-Highway...tegy.Opens30-DayPublicCommentPeriod http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2000/pr001204_ohv.htm
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BureauofLandManagement Contacts:
ForRelease:Monday,December4,2000 LarryFinfer TomGorey JimKeeler
[phone] [phone] [phone]
BLMPublishesDraftNationalOff-HighwayVehicleStrategy,Opens30-DayPublic
CommentPeriod
TheBureauofLandManagementtodayreleasedaDraftNationalOff-HighwayVehicleManagementStrategythatis
intendedtopromoteenvironmentallysoundOff-HighwayVehicle(OHV)useonBLM-managedpubliclands.The
DraftStrategy,whichreflectsextensivepublicinput,isnowavailablefora30-daypubliccommentperiodthatbegins
todayandrunsuntilJanuary3,2001.
"ThisDraftStrategyisaimedatrecognizingtheinterestsofOHVuserswhileprotectingenvironmentallysensitive
areasonthepubliclands,"saidHenriBisson,theBLM'sAssistantDirectorforRenewableResourcesandPlanning.
1talsoseekstofocustheagency'sscarcefundingandstaffingresourcesonOHVmanagementratherthanon
•:HV-relatedlitigation."
Bissonadded,"TheBLMwasveryencouragedbythepublic'sparticipationandinputatthe49OHV'listening'
meetingsthatweheldthispastsummer.Inaddition,thepublicsubmittednearly5,000writtencommentsthat1 BLM
specialistshavebeencategorizingandanalyzingsinceSeptember.Thesecommentshaveguidedouragencyin
writingthisDraftStrategy."
TheDraftStrategyoffersmanagementguidanceandrecommendsnumerousactionsaimedatcreatingalocal
frameworkforreviewingandresolvingOHV-relatedissues.TheseissuesincludecurrentOHVdesignations;signs,
maps,andotherpublicinformation;existingOHVregulations;routeinventoryneeds;OHVimpactsonresources;
roadandtraildesign,maintenance,andrestoration;managementofWildernessStudyAreas;monitoring;education
(bothpublicoutreachandstafftraining);lawenforcement;andtheBLM'sbudgetaryneeds.
TheDraftStrategyrecognizes,consistentwiththeBLM'sexistingpolicy,thatOff-RoadorOff-HighwayVehicleuseis
alegitimateactivityonpubliclandswherevercompatiblewiththeBureau'sresourcemanagementobjectivesand
whenincompliancewiththeFederalLandPolicyandManagementAct(FLPMA)of1976.TheDraftStrategynotes
thatunderFLPMA,theBLMisrequiredtomanagethepubliclandsinawaythataccommodatesmultipleuseswhile
protectingpubliclandresources."TheBLMbelievesthatthisStrategycanprovideguidancetopromotethebalance
betweenthesesometimescompetingprinciples,"the64-pagedocumentsays.
TmhaenaDgraefmteSnttrawtietghyinsathyesatghaetn,cyif;fulhliyghilmipghltemtehentaeddd,itiitocnaalnfpurnodminogteancdonsstiasftfeinngcyneofedOeHdVbydetchiesBioLnMmatkoinmganaangdeOHVuse
effectively;leadtoanupdatingofexistingOHVregulationsandpolicyguidance;clarifyforBLMlandmanagerstheir
legalauthoritiesinmanagingOHVuse;reduceconflictsamongpubliclandusergroups;promoteresponsibleOHV
useandreducehabitatdegradation;andprovideanopportunityforlong-terminvolvementbythepublicinOHV
managementonpubliclands.
•
nymemberofthepublicwhosubmittedcommentsorsignedinatanOHV"listening"meetingwillreceivebymaila
opyoftheDraftStrategyearlythismonth.Inaddition,theBLMhaspostedtheDraftStrategyonitsInternetHome
Woraaseghleiecn(tghrttotonpni:,c/m/Daw.iwClw..,.bTOlhfmef.iqcmoeavib)l;yipnDagpeaecdredmcrobepseisresi8s.:ofCBotLhmMemdOeonHctVusmSeotnnratttehwigelyl,DrbUaef.tSa.vSatDirleaaptbaelrgeytfmsrehonomtultodhfebtBheuersIeunbatmueri'itsotrS,etdBautinerewOrafiuftiiocnfegsLbaaynnrddegiutslar
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BLMPublishesDraftNationalOff-Highway...tegy,Opens30-DayPublicCommentPeriod http://www,blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2000/pr001204_ohv.htm
Management,1849CStreet,N.W.,Washington,D.C.20240.Commentsmaybesentelectronicallybyclickingon
tehleecOtrHonVicSatrdadtreegsysl(ionkhvonctohmemBeLnMt'smHaonamqeerP(aag)bel(mh.tqtopv:)/./www.blm.gov)orbysendinge-mailcommentstoaBLM
m.
fifntaelrNtahteiocnoanlclOuHsiVonMoafntahgee3m0e-ndtayStpruabtliecgycoonmmtheentInpteerrinoedt,otnhJeaBnuuraerayu19p,la2n0s01to.rPerviinetwedalclocpoiemsmewinlltsbeamnadiltoedisosuuteoints
January26.
TheBLM,anagencyoftheU.S.DepartmentoftheInterior,managesmoreland-264millionsurfaceacres-than
anyotherFederalagency.Mostofthispubliclandislocatedin12WesternStates,includingAlaska.TheBureau,
withabudgetofabout$1.8billionandaworkforceofsome9,000full-time,permanentemployees,alsoadministers
700millionacresofsub-surfacemineralestatethroughoutthenation.TheBLMpreservesopenspacebymanaging
thepubliclandsformultipleuses,includingoutdoorrecreation,livestockgrazing,andmining,andbyconserving
natural,historical,cultural,andotherresourcesfoundonthepubliclands.
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U.S.BureauofLandManagement, Beforecontinuing,pleasereadtliis
OfficeofPublicAffairs disclaimerandprivacystatement.
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