BLM to host California Desert District Advisory Council meeting and field tour August 9-10

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management will host an in-person public meeting of the BLM California Desert District Advisory Council from 9 a.m.– 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 10, in the Monterey Bay Conference Room at South Point Hotel, 9777 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, 89183. The meeting is open to the public with a public comment period scheduled at 9:30 a.m.

The California Desert District Advisory Council meeting will include a presentation from the U.S. Forest Service on the Cleveland National Forest’s fee proposal with an opportunity for public comment on the proposal and a DAC vote, and ethics and Federal Advisory Committee Act training for DAC members. The five field offices and fire program will also report on activities.   

The meeting will include a virtual option via Zoom. Meeting participants must register in advance to attend in Zoom. Upon registering, participants will receive an email, including the meeting link and dial-in numbers. The public will have the opportunity to address the Desert Advisory Council during the public comment period and time for individual comments may be limited due to the number of persons wishing to speak. Written comments may also be emailed in advance of the meeting to kmiyamoto@blm.gov, and will be recorded in the meeting minutes.

The BLM will host a field tour on Friday, Aug. 9, and visit public lands managed by the Needles Field Office including a future desert tortoise augmentation site, Horse Thief Campground, and Crystal Springs. Members of the public are welcome on the field tour, but must provide their own transportation, meals, and water. To attend the field tour, please RSVP by August 2 to kmiyamoto@blm.gov. The meeting agenda and field tour can be reviewed in advance.

Advisory councils, such as the California Desert District Advisory Council, provide advice and recommendations for BLM consideration on resource and land-management issues within the agency. These citizen-based councils consist of 10 to 15 members from diverse interests in local communities who assist in the development of committee recommendations that address public land management issues.