{"id":9234,"date":"2023-09-12T12:08:39","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T18:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/?p=9234"},"modified":"2025-04-26T16:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T22:31:11","slug":"blms-canyonlands-west-travel-management-plan-environmental-assessment-ea-is-now-open-for-comment-up-until-october-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/?p=9234","title":{"rendered":"BLM’s Canyonlands WEST Travel Management Plan Environmental Assessment (EA) is now open for comment, up until October 23."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Those of you who studied and commented recently on the Canyonlands EAST TMP know the drill and will have had a practice run to now turn your attention westward.\u00a0 And you know from the last pass what is at stake for recreationists in this second of five related sub-region TMPs under BLM’s Boise District, Owyhee and Bruneau Field Offices.<\/p>\n

Road and trail mileages proposed to be accommodated under the Action Alternatives (B, C, D) and mapping will vary for this sub-region, in part due to a 2021 land swap which increases the ground in the analysis area and route inventory in the Alternatives. I will more thoroughly analyze the Plan and report further in the future, but the basic approach and what’s at stake should feel familiar with the info provided here.<\/p>\n

Sub region area outline in light blue, Alternatives route inventory in dark blue; Table 2.6 from Pg 19 of the EA summarizes mileage and access types proposed to be retained under each Alternative:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Table 2.6 notes: “Open” and “Seasonal Closure” are effectively full-width routes; ATV\/UTV width class is unique and newly defined as <65″ with the release of EAs for Canyonlands East and West TMPs.<\/p>\n

This is not a reboot<\/em> of the NEPA process from the beginning but a continuation <\/em>of the TMP process paused in 2017. The documents to be analyzed and commented upon are the near-final versions of the Plan for the Canyonlands WEST Sub-region. This is explained in the BLM’s E-Planning FAQ page which I encourage you to read at the link below and which applies to all five related Sub-regions similarly.<\/p>\n

Except for inventoried routes added as part of a 2021 land swap, there will be no new analysis for any routes if such were not included in the original 2009 inventory. Commentary will therefore only be considered for the routes in the proposed Alternatives, and we do not anticipate BLM will accept any proposed “new” routes due to the restrictions of the 2009 OPLM Act that “stopped the clock” at that time of the Act’s passage by Congress.<\/p>\n

With thanks to a fellow traveler for assembling the basis of the following text, if you’ve seen it already, know that I’ve made a few edits to clarify some details.<\/p>\n

This will not <\/em>be a rolling multi-year Decision release process for the five Sub-regions, but instead as stated BLM anticipates having all five Sub-region Decisions wrapped up on a fairly fast-track, by March 2024<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Alex Ernst<\/p>\n

IDPR, Land Access Coordinator<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Canyonlands WEST TMP EA public stage NEPA process: 45-day comment period open<\/strong><\/p>\n

BLM Press release: https:\/\/www.blm.gov\/press-release\/blm-update-second-travel-management-plan-owyhee-county<\/a><\/p>\n

E-Planning site (Project homepage, map links, NEPA documents, etc.): https:\/\/eplanning.blm.gov\/eplanning-ui\/project\/73196\/510<\/a><\/p>\n

BLM’s Interactive Route Alternatives Map: https:\/\/blm-egis.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/webappviewer\/index.html?id=ac06e3f30d684e1c8c7f77f4eb93c6ff<\/a>
\nGIS geodata files are here: https:\/\/eplanning.blm.gov\/eplanning-ui\/project\/73196\/590<\/a><\/p>\n