For Immediate
Release:
Contact: Doran Sanchez (909) 697-5220;
E-MAIL: dasanche@ca.blm.gov
CA-610-02-39
In an effort to provide off highway vehicle recreationists and the general
public in the Phoenix area an opportunity to comment on the Imperial Sand Dunes
Recreation Area Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Recreation
Area Management Plan (DRAMP), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled
a public meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday, April 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00
p.m. at Phoenix College, located at 1202 West Thomas Road in Phoenix.
BLM staff will give a presentation about the draft documents during the first
hour. Public comment will be recorded by a court reporter the remaining two
hours. Time limits for individual public comment will be determined by the
number of people who register to speak. BLM also will accept written comments.
The DEIS and DRAMP analyzes management alternatives, including cultural,
natural and recreational resource management needs for the Imperial Sand Dunes
Recreation Area. These documents will guide future BLM activities and provide
for the continued enjoyment and conservation of the Imperial Sand Dunes, and
will be developed with the participation and assistance of interested members of
the public. When finalized, these documents will amend the 1980 California
Desert Conservation Area Plan.
The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is the most popular Off Highway
Vehicle (OHV) area in the southwest United States. It encompasses the most
intensively visited recreational area in the California Desert Conservation
Area. Management goals that have been identified include increasing the
effectiveness of law enforcement, provide sustainable recreational
opportunities, and conserving natural and cultural resources.
These documents can be viewed on BLM's website at www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro.
Paper copies and/or CDs are available by request. Reading copies also are
available at the Burton Barr Central Phoenix Library located at 1221 N. Central
Avenue in Phoenix.
The BLM is encouraging all people interested in the future of the Imperial
Sand Dunes to attend the meeting, review the documents, and provide input for
the future management of the Dunes. Individuals may request confidentially. If
you wish to withhold your name or address from public review or from disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your written/oral comment. Such requests will be honored to the
extent allowed by law.
Written and oral comments regarding the Imperial Dunes DEIS and DRAMP may be
provided at any of the public meetings. Written comments also may be submitted
to Bureau of Land Management, El Centro Field Office, Attn: Jim Komatinsky, 1661
South 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243. E-mail comments may be submitted BLM at caisd@ca.blm.gov.
Written, oral and e-mail comments will be accepted through June 28, 2002.
An additional public meeting will be held in Yuma, Arizona on Tuesday, April
23 at the Yuma Civic and Convention Center, located at 1440 W. Desert Hills
Drive in Yuma. Please contact the BLM El Centro Field Office in California at
(760) 337-4400 for additional information.
-BLM-
