BLM Bishop Field Office and Forest Service Inyo National Forest OHV grant applications now available for public comment 

Organization

Bureau of Land Management and Inyo National Forest

BLM Office:

Bishop Field Office

Media Contact:

Serena Baker, BLM
Debra Schweizer, U.S. Forest Service

Image of OHV use in Tungsten Hills (Sara Manley/BLM)BISHOP, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office and U.S. Forest Service Inyo National Forest have submitted to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) preliminary applications for grant funds to enhance and manage motorized recreation. The agencies invite public comments on the preliminary grant applications now until May 6.

The agencies also invite the public to come out to an informal open house happening from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, at the U.S. Forest Service/BLM office, located behind the Department of Motor Vehicles, at 351 Pacu Lane, Bishop. Copies of the preliminary applications will be available at the open house. The public can come by at any time during the open house to review and discuss the grant applications.

Representatives from the two agencies will be onsite to answer questions and receive or facilitate comments on changes, concerns and support for final grant applications, which will be submitted before June 3. 
These and all other applicants’ grant requests, as well as detailed instructions about the process and how to comment, can be viewed on the OHMVR website. Public comments should be submitted directly through the division website and sent to the responsible agency.

As stewards, federal agencies manage public lands for the benefit of current and future generations. For more information, to submit ideas through other means, or if someone has special needs for accommodation to participate in this open house, please call Inyo National Forest District Recreation Staff Officer Tony Papa at 760-873-2561 or email him at tpapa@fs.fed.us, or contact BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Sara Manley by telephone at 760-872-5000 or email BLM_CA_Web_BI@blm.gov.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.