Lower Sonoran and Sonoran Desert National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental

Impact Statement

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Purpose of Meeting Provide information

regarding the LS/SDNM Draft Resource Mgt Plan (RMP)

Encourage and facilitate public participation in the development of the Plan

Answer clarifying questions

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Meeting Administration

Welcome !

Location of restrooms & telephones Please turn-off or silence

pagers and cell phones

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Meeting Administration

Critique ideas, not people…show respect for the views of others

What is the rule on confidentiality? Listen with an open mind – many

different users Avoid side conversations Speak for yourself…in your own words Thirty second soapbox? Enjoy your time together

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Tonight’s Agenda

Welcome and introductions Resource Management Plan

presentation Participant discussion - please hold

questions until this portion of the agenda Open House

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Introductions

Phoenix District Manager – Angie Bulletts

Lower Sonoran Field Office Mgr – Emily Garber

Sonoran Desert National Monument Mgr – Rich Hanson

Planning & Environmental Coordinator – Penny Foreman

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Bureau of Land Management

Federal Land Policy & Mgt Act, 1976

Sustain the health, productivity, and diversity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Manage multiple resources Periodically inventory resources &

project future use through land use planning.

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Need for New Planto guide future land mgt actions and

subsequent site-specific decisions

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Encroaching urban-interface New & changing land uses Need to consolidate several planning documents 2001 Presidential Proclamation of SDNM

Resource Mgt Planning (RMP) vs. Project Planning

RMP - Planning at the landscape level – decide desired resource conditions, determine emphases, allocations

Project Planning - Project-specific environmental analysis (NEPA) required before decisions can be made & implemented on the ground

This DRMP: Project-level analyses for:

SDNM livestock grazing; travel management; and target shooting

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Planning Area 1.4 million surface

acres Sonoran Desert Nat’l

Mon. (486,400 acres) Anza Nat’l Historic

Trail Six Wilderness Areas Four endangered &

four candidate species

High interest in utility-scale solar energy development

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One DocumentTwo Decision Areas

Two Decision Areas: Sonoran Desert

National Monument – 486,400 acres

Lower Sonoran – 930,200 acres

At the end of the process, there will be two Records of Decision

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Outreach Extensive scoping in 2003 at 11

public meetings – received >6000 comments

Ongoing engagement with the Resource Advisory Council (RAC), government agencies, user interests, environmental groups and tribes.

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Key Scoping Issue Areas

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Management Topics

Renewable and traditional energy facilities

T&E habitat, wildlife corridors and water developments

Wilderness Characteristics

Transportation and access

Compatibility of livestock grazing with protecting monument objects in the SDNM

Recreational target shooting

Alternatives

LS-SDNM DRMP/EISAlternative A No action: Current management (baseline

for resource and land use allocations)

Alternative B Resource use and development emphasis

Alternative C Balance of resource use and protection

Alternative D Resource protection emphasis

Alternative E Preferred

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Provide a range of reasonable combinations of resource uses and mgt practices developed to address issues identified during scoping that offer distinct choice among potential mgt strategies.

Utility-Scale Renewable Energy

GIS analysis to identify potential conflicts?

Exclude from development

NLCS, WC, ACECs, Fred J. Weiler (PL 1015) Greenbelt, Sentinel Plain

Avoidance

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Collaboration with Restoration Design Energy Project (RDEP) . Solar PEIS and RDEP will amend RMPs, if necessary. Preferred alternative does not conflict with other ongoing analyses .

Lower Sonoran:

Wildlife Wildlife WatersIncrease, improve or maintain

Wildlife Movement Corridors – assist wildlife in safepassage from one area to another

Wildlife Habitat Areas – maintain & improve habitat for:

Desert tortoise, mule deer, bighorn sheep, Sonoran pronghorn, lesser-long-nosed bat, & cactus ferruginous pygmy owl

Preferred: Gila Bend Mountains (all other WHAs designated as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern)

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Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

ACECs in Preferred: Coffeepot-

Batamote Cuerda de Lena Gila River

Terraces and Lower Gila Historic Trails

Saddle Mountain Outstanding Natural Area

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Merit special mgt attention to protect resources and prevent irreparable damage (Appendix V)

Lands Managed to Protect Wilderness Characteristics

Congress enacts laws establishing Wilderness Areas.BLM allocates acreage to be managed to maintain wilderness characteristicsLower Sonoran FO: Considered 276,500 acres Preferred: 55,400 acres

Sonoran Desert National Monument Considered 153,000 acres Preferred: 110,900 acres (3 units)

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Travel ManagementComprehensive OHV Route Inventory for

both decision areas.Current Mgt: All vehicles limited to

established & inventoried routes.

LSFO: No route designations in DRMP. Preferred: Travel limited to existing roads until further

planning, public involvement and route designation

Designates areas closed to motorized travel or limited to existing roads.

One Open Motorized area - 40-acres north of Ajo.

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SDNM Travel ManagementRoute-specific designations for 631.5

miles of inventoried routesPreferred: 432.9 miles designated

routes (all others closed)

Considerations: preserve monument objects & values sustain wildlife habitat in washes & uplands protect & reduce erosion of sensitive soils reduce redundant routes protect historic properties/cultural resources reduce habitat fragmentation

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Livestock Grazing LOWER SONORAN SDNM Designate as

perennial, perennial/ephemeral, or ephemeral, as appropriate

Consider season of use adjustments

Further analyses for allotment management plan NEPA

Land Health Evaluation (LHE) completed for six SDNM allotments

Compatibility analysis completed (Append. E)

Finding – modified grazing practices would be compatible.

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Recreational Target Shooting LOWER SONORAN SDNM All 930,200 acres

will remain open for recreational target shooting

Activity may be adaptively managed due to safety concerns or resource conflicts

Analysis (Appendix G): 80% of SDNM acres

had monument objects that could be impacted by target shooting.

20% of acreage did not provide adequate backstops for shooting

Findings used to develop alternativesPreferred: target shooting would not be allowed

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Hunting would continue inaccordance with federal, state and local laws

How to participate in the planning process

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August 26, 2011 – DRMP publishedNovember 25, 2011 – Comment period ends

Substantive Comments: Reasonably question

accuracy of: Information; Assumptions; Methodology;

Present new information; Provide reasonable

alternatives; Cause revision of

alternative(s); Be specific, detailed,

factual.

How to participate in the planning process

Email:blm_az_ls_sdnm_plan@blm.gov

Mail: BLM, 21605 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85027

Fax: 623-580-5580

ePlanning –Access now (we will help) if ready to comment or access by web address below later

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http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/planning/son_des.html

Provide Comments by November 25, 2011 via:

Next StepsB

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RMP Timetable

Aug 26, 2011 Draft Resource Mgt Plan released

Oct 2011 Public meetings held

Nov 25, 2011 Public Comment Period Ends;Prepare Proposed RMP

May 2012 Proposed Resource Mgt Plan / Final EIS released

June 2012 (30 days)

Protest period (for those with “standing”)

Sept 2012 2 Records of Decision signed

Oct 2012 (30 days)

Appeal period (implementation decisions)

Open House Opportunity

National Landscape Conservation System

Wildlife Habitat Recreation

Livestock Grazing Cultural Resources Travel Management Energy & Land Use Minerals

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BLM planning team are here to answer questions specific to DRMP

You may provide comments this evening by filling out a comment form at our comment table or entering your comment via ePlanning.Or, deliver comments to BLM (by any methods mentioned previously) no later than November 25, 2011.

Thank You!

We are so pleased you joined us tonight.

Thank you for sharing your evening to help improve management of our Public Land.

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