Transmittal of Revised Recreation and Visitor Services Land Use Planning Guidance, Updated Checklist, and Three Land Use Planning Templates
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC 20240
October 1, 2010
In Reply Refer To:
1601/1611/8300/8310/8320 (250) P
Refers to IM No. 2008-090
EMS TRANSMISSION 10/14/2010
Instruction Memorandum No. 2011-004
Expires: 09/30/2012
To: All WO and Field Officials
From: Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning
Subject: Transmittal of Revised Recreation and Visitor Services Land Use Planning Guidance, Updated Checklist, and Three Land Use Planning Templates
Program Area: Recreation and Visitor Services; Decision Support, Planning and NEPA.
Purpose: The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to transmit revised guidance for Recreation and Visitor Services planning in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) land use planning process.
Policy/Action: One policy change; two action changes:
- Policy Change – The Recreation and Visitors Services guidance in Appendix C of the BLM’s H-1601-1 Land Use Planning Handbook is revised with Attachment 1 to more accurately describe the planning and implementation decisions required through the land use planning process.
- Action Change 1 – The Land Use Plan (LUP) Checklist for Recreation and Visitor Services (Attachment 2) is updated to implement the guidance in Attachment 1. This IM and the revised checklist replace IM 2008 – 090. The checklist should be used as a tool by field offices engaged in preparing, revising, or amending land use plans and by district and state offices when reviewing LUPs.
- Action Change 2 – Three Recreation Outcomes Focused Management (OFM) templates (Attachments 3, 4, and 5) have been developed. They are designed to facilitate the land use planning process and may be used for e-Planning and other LUP purposes. The use of these templates is optional, but field offices may find these tools helpful during the LUP process. Contact Hal Hallett, WO-250, Division of Recreation and Visitor Services, with suggestions and recommendations for improving these templates.
Timeframe: Effective immediately.
Budget Impact: This is a clarification of existing policy that should have little impact on the budget. There are some minimal one-time costs to implement the OFM templates as e-Planning templates.
Background: The current Land Use Planning Handbook, H-1601-1, was released in early 2005, and included planning guidance for Recreation and Visitor Services within Appendix C. Field offices have adhered to this guidance; however, clarification has been requested by many offices undertaking Resource Management Plan (RMP) revisions.
In responding to the need for clarified and refined guidance, the Washington Office Division of Recreation and Visitor Services together with a team of field personnel developed the five attached documents in draft. The Washington Office Instruction Memorandum No. 2010-092 provided these documents to the state offices for a formal review. The documents then were revised after consideration of the state office comments.
The major change establishes a three-tier classification for lands used and managed for recreation. This new classification replaces the existing 30-year-old, two-tier system where all lands were classified as either special or extensive recreation management areas.
The primary goal of the attachments is to create a functional, viable recreation LUP process that is easily understood and can be consistently implemented throughout the BLM.
The updated guidance addresses the following specific issues in the current Appendix C:
- Complex and confusing terminology making it difficult to understand.
- Ambiguity in distinguishing between land use level decisions and implementation level decisions.
- Unclear guidance for extensive recreation management area planning.
The revised guidance also:
- Changes terminology from benefits based management to outcomes focused management.
- Establishes a three-tier system of lands managed for recreation that replaces the current two-tier system.
Concurrent with the development and release of the updated guidance, the LUP Checklist was revised and renamed and three optional OFM templates were prepared to facilitate the land use planning process and may be used for e-Planning and other LUP purposes.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: This IM clarifies recreation and visitor services policy guidance contained in BLM Manuals 1601, 8300, 8310, and 8320 and BLM Handbook H-1601-1 – Land Use Planning Handbook Appendix C Guidance for Recreation and Visitor Services. The LUP Checklist replaces the Appendix 1 Checklist issued under Washington Office IM No. 2008-090.
Coordination: The development of this guidance was coordinated among the Recreation and Visitor Services Division; the Division of Decision Support, Planning and NEPA; the Division of the National Landscape Conservation System; and the BLM State Office Recreation and Travel Management Leaders.
Contact: If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Andy Tenney, Chief, Planning and Resources Branch, Recreation and Visitor Services Division, (WO-251) at 202-912-7094, or andy_tenney@blm.gov; or Marci Todd, Chief, Division of Decision Support, Planning and NEPA (WO-210) at 202-912-7292, or Marci_Todd@blm.gov.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Richard Hanes Robert M. Williams
Acting, Assistant Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
Renewable Resources and Planning
5 Attachments
1 – Recreation and Visitor Services Planning Decision Guidance (4 pp)
2 – Land Use Planning Checklist for Recreation and Visitor Services (8 pp)
3 – Special Recreation Management Area Template (1 p)