Deadline to comment on BLM’s greater sage grouse RMP amendment’s DEIS

Deadline to comment on BLM’s greater sage grouse RMP amendment’s DEIS (3 volumes) is June 13th, 2024.  They are giving us 90 days.  We are not yet sure of the time-of-day for end of comments (EST OR MT) , so to be safe we assume before midnight EST, but it could be before midnight MT.

Watch for updates on the time zone the midnight deadline will fall in.

The US Geological Survey found that the greater sage grouse population declined 80% between 168 and 2023. PHAS believes the proposed BLM RMO amendments need to be stronger.

BLM says in press release:

“WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing a draft plan to strengthen greater sage-grouse conservation and management on public lands, informed by the best-available science and input from local, state, federal, and Tribal partners. The draft plan is built on decades of partnership, research, and on-the-ground knowledge and experience in maintaining, protecting and restoring healthy sagebrush habitats….

Alternatives in the proposal build on the most successful components of the plans that the BLM adopted in 2015 and updated in 2019. The draft plan incorporates new sage-grouse conservation science and lessons learned, accommodating changing resources conditions while increasing implementation flexibility. The agency considered nearly 1,900 comments gathered during an initial public scoping period and information shared by state, local, federal, and Tribal partners in more than 100 meetings.

The BLM will hold 13 public meetings to answer questions and take further comments on the draft alternatives and analysis. Information on public meetings will be posted in the events column on the main page of the BLM website. ”

For more info:

https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-proposes-stronger-greater-sage-grouse-conservation-plans

To access DEISs:

https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016719/570

More information on how to comment on this draft will be posted at https://www.blm.gov/sagegrouse

The BLM is holding eleven (11) in-person open-house and two (2) virtual public meetings to provide information on the BLM’s current greater sage-grouse planning effort. All these meetings will include a presentation on the planning effort and opportunities for questions about the planning effort and the Draft RMPA/Draft EIS. The meetings are schedule in the following locations: 

– Tuesday, April 9 – Virtual meeting 

– Thursday, April 11 – Billings (MT) 

– Tuesday, April 16 – Reno (NV)

– Wednesday, April 17 – Craig (CO) and Lakeview (OR) 

– Thursday, April 18 – Cheyenne (WY), Boise (ID), and Ontario (OR) 

– Monday, April 22 – Rock Springs (WY) 

– Tuesday, April 23 – Worland (WY) and Salt Lake City (UT) 

– Wednesday, April 24 – Casper (WY)

– Thursday, April 25 – Virtual meeting 

Additional details on the times and locations/venues for these meetings will be provided on this site at least 15 days before the meeting.