This week, the Bureau of Land Management announced the agency is seeking public input on the draft Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for public lands managed by the Redding and Arcata field offices. This follows a recent letter from U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) to the Department of the Interior supporting implementation of the proposed rule, and today's plan includes proposals championed by Huffman in his Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forest Act.
"This management plan shows promising momentum for an issue that is so important to my constituents, to Californians, and to the millions of visitors who come to experience the spectacular wild places our state has to offer," said Representative Huffman. "I have been working towards a future for Northwest California where public lands are restored and protected, and communities can thrive in a healthy environment – and I'm grateful to see that many of the proposals and requests I've made ended up in the preferred plan. This is another step in the right direction for guaranteeing our environmental values are preserved for future generations, and I hope everyone makes their voices heard during the comment process."
"We encourage people to get involved in this important public process," said Ryan Henson, Senior Policy Director for CalWild. "Many issues will be addressed, including the future of places like English Ridge on the Wild and Scenic Eel River in Mendocino County that Mr. Huffman first included in a protection bill in 2018 that has since passed the House several times. With the recent death of former Cal Fire head Richard Wilson of Round Valley, many may remember English Ridge as the site of one of two notorious proposed dams on the Eel River that would have flooded Round Valley. The NCIP process gives the public an opportunity to urge BLM to protect, appropriately manage, and, where possible, improve public access to or recreation opportunities in English Ridge and places like it at long last. If you care about public lands in this region, come make your voice heard!"
"Public input is critical to develop this plan that will guide our management into the future," said Dereck Wilson, manager of the BLM's Northern California District. "We encourage the public to reflect on the importance of these public lands in northwest California and their significant natural and cultural resources."
The Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan will guide management of approximately 382,200 acres of public land and approximately 295,100 acres of subsurface minerals in Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Tehama and Butte counties for the next 15 to 20 years.
The integrated plan will replace the resource management plans for the Redding and Arcata field offices put into place in the mid-1990s. The need for a new resource management plan is due to increasing population and changing use patterns; to provide for a broad array of recreation uses; wilderness management; protect and conserve Wild & Scenic Rivers and Areas of Critical Environmental Concerns; and consolidate BLM-managed public lands to conserve significant resources while providing public access.
The BLM will collaborate with local, state and federal agencies as well as Tribal partners to complete the plan. Public comments will help prepare the final environmental analysis and proposed resource management plan.
The planning area includes a great diversity of lands ranging from north coast beaches and dunes—to the Central Valley and Sacramento River—to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These public lands provide a wide array of recreational opportunities, including wilderness trails, hunting areas, off-highway riding areas, mountain bike trails and scenic vistas. A wide range of uses are supported by these lands, including habitat for fish and wildlife, livestock grazing, mining, timber production and firewood collecting.
Public participation in the planning process will help the BLM develop a land use plan that reflects the values and needs of the people living in the region and those who visit.
Comments must be in writing and will be accepted until 90 days after publication. Comments may be hand delivered or mailed to the BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA, 95521-4573, or emailed to BLM_CA_Redding_Arcata_NCIP@blm.gov.
More information is available from the BLM Arcata Field Office at 707-825-2300 or the BLM Redding Field Office at 530-224-2100, or online at BLM NEPA Register.
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