Public Invited to Attend Meetings to Discuss BLM Planning Efforts
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LAS CRUCES, NM - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Cruces District is hosting three public meetings to discuss the management and use of public lands, with a focus on the Robledo, Las Uvas, Doña Ana, Potrillo and Organ Mountains. The meetings will be held on Oct. 26, 27 and 28, in Las Cruces and Anthony, NM and El Paso, Texas, respectively.
The meeting venues and times are:
- The Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road - 7:30 to 9 p.m.
- City of Anthony Council Chambers, 820 HWY 478 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- El Paso Community College, Trans-Mountain Campus, 9570 Gateway N. Blvd. – 3 to 4:30 p.m.
The meetings seek to engage the public, including sportsmen, ranchers, local leaders, business owners, residents and visitors, to share their perceptions, opinions, preferences and attitudes toward their use and experience on BLM-managed public lands. This type of public engagement will help BLM develop transparent and collaborative land use plans.
The public meetings will be facilitated by Dr. Tim Casey, a professor of Political Science at the Natural Resource Center at the Colorado Mesa University. Interpreters will be available at the meetings for Spanish speaking participants. The meetings will last approximately 90 minutes each and will follow an interactive group discussion and question and answer format. Some of the questions to be asked include:
- Do you engage in recreational activities on public lands?
- Are you interested in how the BLM manages recreation in these units?
- Are any of your favorite recreational areas in the Prehistoric Trackways and/or Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Monuments?
- What public lands are especially important to you?
Questions like these and others will give the BLM a better understanding of the public’s desires and expectations for how recreation should be managed. The information and data gathered at these meetings will also help the BLM to deliver quality recreation and other uses on public lands.
For more information on the meetings and format, the public can contact Mara Weisenberger, BLM Las Cruces District planner, at 575-525-4358 or at mweisenberger@blm.gov.
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.