Public comment sought for targeted and prescribed grazing environmental assessment

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Nevada State Office

Media Contact:

Reno, Nev. -- The Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office has completed a Preliminary environmental assessment (EA) titled Targeted Grazing of Annual Grasses in the Great Basin Ecoregions in Nevada. The public comment period closes July 9, 2020.

The BLM is evaluating selected ecological sites in the Great Basin within applicable BLM Nevada districts for options to utilize targeted and prescribed livestock grazing treatments to address increased wildfire risk exacerbated by fine fuel loads from invasive annual grasses. The analysis area includes 24,526,564 acres of land administered by the BLM’s Battle Mountain, Carson City, Elko, Ely, and Winnemucca Districts. 

This EA will fulfill the National Environmental Policy Act requirements associated with implementing Secretarial Order 3372, “Reducing Wildfire Risks through Active Management,” and the Executive Order issued December 21, 2018, titled “Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, and Other Federal Land to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk.”

The BLM plans to host four virtual public meetings during the 30-day public comment period. The dates and times of the meetings are listed below, however for more information regarding how to access these virtual meetings, please refer to the following project website: https://www.blm.gov/site-page/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-development/nevada/targeted-grazing-great-basin-ecoregion. Please note that the virtual public meetings are for informational purposes only, and no comments offered at the virtual public meetings will be recorded as official comments.  Comments need to be written and submitted in the ways listed below for official recordation.

  • Wednesday June 24, 2020 - 10 am to noon
  • Wednesday June 24, 2020 - 6 to 8 pm
  • Friday June 26, 2020 - 1 to 3 pm
  • Friday June 26, 2020 - 5 to 7 pm

Written comments may be submitted as follows:

Written comments may be submitted electronically at:

  • Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/124311/530
  • Written comments may also be mailed directly, or delivered to, the BLM at:

Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office

Attn: Kathryn Dyer

1340 Financial BLVD

Reno, NV 89502

  • Written comments may be submitted electronically to BLM_NV_TargetedGrazing@blm.gov

Comments submitted via email should include “Targeted and Prescribed Grazing Preliminary EA Comments’ in the subject line.

To facilitate analysis of comments and information submitted, we encourage you to submit comments in an electronic format.  Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

-BLM-


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.