BLM Land Use Meetings

[Hackle]

NOTICE:
Here's the dates and places for the PUBLIC HEARINGS regarding the Sonoran Desert National Monument planning................... I know most of us don't do much recreation here but the Del Diablo trail is involved near and across the Goldwater range but the most important issue is I'm finding they did NOT inventory any washes for designation on the monument. The monument proclamation keeps roads/trails open for motorized use but Phoenix has decided that NO WASH IS A ROAD or TRAIL and thusly not inventoried or considered for OHV use. This is absolutely STUPID.............. The open sandy, rocky washes with no vegetation are NOT BEING IMPACTED as they claim. We need to attend these meetings and put them on the spot regarding the use of OHV in acceptable washes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a Wilderness inside this monument that we do have to start respecting. I was out there last week and did see many tracks through the washes within the Wilderness........ There are signs along the wilderness parameter so some of this abuse is deliberate. We cannot win the acceptable washes if we abuse Wilderness criteria.

BLM needs to hear from all of you........................ Please put these dates on your calendar and attend one close to your home.

THANKS, Sandee




All,

I just wanted to make sure you received the dates for the public meetings to discuss the alternatives that were assembled by Phoenix Field Office for the South Planning area. This is the area South of I-10 that Phx FO manages. Saddle Mtn, Buckeye Hills, Gila Bend Mtns, Sonoran Desert National Monument and Ajo are generally the areas affected. There will be route maps with designation alternatives for some areas at these meetings. Send these dates along to others that need this information.

Here is the bulletin:

BLM invites you to participate in planning workshops

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites you to participate in workshops to discuss preliminary management alternatives for the Sonoran Desert National Monument and Phoenix South planning areas. These alternatives will consider proposed activities and uses, desired resource conditions, and management practices. These alternatives build on our previous workshops, including goals (January 2004) and parameters for management alternatives (April 2004). We considered your input and used it to develop preliminary management alternatives. Alternatives provide a range of options to consider and analyze and form the basis for the Resource Management Plans.

Public involvement and input are important to ensure that BLM is able to consider a full range of management options. Each workshop will include an overview and group discussion. The workshops will be hosted from 6 pm - 8 pm on the following dates in six communities:

Buckeye
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Buckeye Chamber of Commerce
Large Conference Room
608 E. Monroe Avenue

Ajo
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Curley School
201 Esperanza Avenue

Casa Grande
Thursday, February 24, 2005
The Garnet at Casa Grande
510 E. 8th Street
(North of Florence Blvd. off Trekell Rd)

Phoenix
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Deer Valley Community Center
North Multipurpose Room
2001 W. Wahalla Lane
(19th Avenue & Loop 101)

Tucson
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Quail Run Elementary School Cafeteria
4600 W. Cortaro Farms Road

Yuma
Thursday, March 3, 2005
BLM Yuma Field Office
2555 E. Gila Ridge Road

The preliminary management alternatives can be previewed on the BLM planning web page from Feb. 4, 2005 - March 11, 2005. The web site is located at: www.az.blm.gov/LUP/sonoran/son_des.htm. You will also find the planning bulletin, which provides more information on the preliminary alternatives, on the web site.

The public is also welcome to view the preliminary information at the BLM-Phoenix Field Office, located at 21605 N. 7th Avenue (south of Deer Valley Road) in Phoenix, Arizona, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. The preliminary alternatives will also be available at local libraries, the Tucson Field Office, and the Yuma Field Office; call our toll-free number at 1-866-627-7850 for specific locations. This information will also be available at the workshops.

After the workshops, BLM will complete the draft management alternatives for the plans that will be assessed in an environmental impact statement. BLM continues to invite comments or questions on the Sonoran Desert National Monument and Phoenix South Resource Management Plans at its toll-free telephone information line at 1-866-627-7850.

We're sending you this email because you expressed interest in the planning process. If you have received this email in error or you no longer wish to receive information about this project, please let us know at our planning email address, az_sdnm_phx_south@blm.gov or call our toll-free telephone information line at 1-866-627-7850.


Thank you,
Karen Kelleher
Planning Project Manager
az_sdnm_phx_south@blm.gov



Thomas V. Bickauskas
Transportation and Access Planning Coordinator
BLM Phoenix Field Office
21605 N. 7th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85027
(ph)623-580-5502
(fax)623-580-5580

[JamesT]

WTH none on the East side of town?

JimF always said us people were, how did you put it? Something like wrong side of town challenged? You had an acrynym for it. ;)

[Hackle]

"Geographically undesirable" is the term. But is does not apply this time the area is way to west of Phx. I was surprised that Phx. got a meeting at all. It is important we have a good showing at our one and only shot.
Jim F.

[Linda]

Jim,

Thank you for posting the information. This request has a link to a reliable source of information included in it.

I wrote letters to the BLM and the White House before Clinton signed the proclamation asking to limit the size and location of the monument to the existing wilderness areas (that were already in place) and keep the Sand Tank Mountain Range area under the jurisdiction of the Goldwater Gunnery Range. Of course that didn't happen. There wasn't a lot of interest in this area because of the location and the fact that most of what the BLM calls legitimate trails are pretty mild. There are historic artifacts out there that are in really good shape.

I did a little search today and found a link to some pictures and known trails in the area. I haven't made it out there myself, though the goal was to use the area for the Willys' first long-distance 4x4 trip sometime in the next year or so. Sand Tank Mountains (http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2004/Sand_tanks_2004/index.html)

I can't make it to any of the meetings, so I'll be sending a letter instead.

James, you can always go to the one in Casa Grande. Casa Grande is only 50 minutes from my house in N Mesa -- probably faster now with the 101/I-10 link. It has to be faster than that for you.

[Hackle]

BTT
Remember this is coming up and we need a good turn out.
Jim F.