Formal comments sought for Thompson Divide mineral withdrawal proposal
The time has come for comments to be taken for the formal environmental review of a proposal to implement a 20-year withdrawal of a large swath of public land west and south of Carbondale, encompassing three different counties from future oil and gas and other mineral leasing.
The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are seeking public scoping comments and will be hosting two public meetings in Delta and Gunnison counties on the requested withdrawal of federal lands in Garfield, Gunnison and Pitkin counties.
“This public scoping period is a first step as we begin our analysis of the requested withdrawal under the National Environmental Policy Act,” Anthony Edwards, Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests, said in a Wednesday news release.
On Oct. 12, 2022, the Department of the Interior announced steps to conserve the Thompson Divide area in response to broad concerns about its important wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, grazing lands and clean air and water, the release states.
If approved, the requested action would withdraw 220,704 acres of U.S. Forest and BLM lands from “settlement, sale, location or entry under the public land laws, location and entry under the United States mining laws, and leasing under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws for up to 20 years, subject to valid existing rights,” the news release states.
To aid in the process, the Forest Service and BLM have scheduled two public meetings to provide additional information and answer questions. The first will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9 in Delta, at the Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 531 N. Palmer St.
The second will be open to both in-person and virtual attendance via Zoom, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, in Gunnison at the Western Colorado University Ballroom, 1 Western Way.
The Gunnison meeting will be available virtually by registering in advance at: https://blm.zoomgov.com/. The 6:30 p.m. session will include Spanish interpretation virtually.
Both meetings are to include two sessions of up to one-hour, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The sessions will consist of a short presentation explaining the requested withdrawal, followed by a question-and-answer session. Information about how to submit comments will also be provided, the release states.
For more information about the requested withdrawal and how to submit comments, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63679. Comments on the requested withdrawal will be accepted through June 16.
El Servicio Forestal y la BLM buscan comentarios públicos sobre la retirada de tierras de Thompson Divide
El Servicio Forestal del USDA y la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras buscan comentarios públicos y organizan dos reuniones públicas sobre una retirada solicitada de tierras del Sistema Forestal Nacional y de la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras en los condados de Garfield, Gunnison y Pitkin.
“Este período de alcance público es un primer paso a medida que comenzamos nuestro análisis de la retirada solicitada en virtud de la Ley Nacional de Política Ambiental”, dijo Anthony Edwards, Supervisor Forestal Adjunto de los Bosques Nacionales de Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre y Gunnison.
El 12 de octubre de 2022, el Departamento del Interior anunció medidas para conservar la zona de la Thompson Divide en respuesta a la amplia preocupación por su importante hábitat de fauna salvaje, oportunidades de recreo, tierras de pastoreo y aire y agua limpios. Si se aprueba, la acción solicitada retiraría 220,704 acres del Sistema Forestal Nacional y de las Tierras de la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras de la colonización, venta, ubicación o entrada bajo las leyes de tierras públicas, ubicación y entrada bajo las leyes de minería de los Estados Unidos, y arrendamiento bajo las leyes de arrendamiento de minerales y arrendamiento geotérmico por hasta 20 años, sujeto a los derechos válidos existentes.
El Servicio Forestal y la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras organizarán reuniones públicas para proporcionar información adicional y responder a preguntas el 9 de mayo en Delta de 5:30 a 7:30 p.m. en el Centro Recreativo Bill Heddles, 531 N. Palmer St., y el 11 de mayo en Gunnison de 5:30 a 7:30 p.m. en el Salón de Baile de la Western Colorado University, 1 Western Way.
Ambas reuniones incluirán dos sesiones de hasta una hora de duración, que comenzarán a las 17:30 y a las 18:30. Las sesiones consistirán en una breve presentación en la que se explicará la retirada solicitada, seguida de una sesión de preguntas y respuestas. Se facilitará información sobre cómo presentar comentarios.
La reunión del 11 de mayo en Gunnison podrá seguirse virtualmente inscribiéndose con antelación en: https://blm.zoomgov.com/. La sesión de las 18:30 incluirá interpretación al español de forma virtual.
Encontrará más información sobre la retirada solicitada y sobre cómo presentar comentarios en https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63679. Se aceptarán comentarios sobre la retirada solicitada hasta el 16 de junio de 2023.
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