MILWAUKEE, WI—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold public meetings for amending Land Use Plans (LUPs) for BLM-administered lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A Notice of Intent to Amend the Land Use Plans was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2016. The Notice of Intent to amend comes in response to changing conditions and demands on public lands managed by BLM in these two states. Public meetings will be held in Cook, Minnesota, and the Wisconsin communities of Milwaukee, Eau Claire, and Stevens Point.
The planned Environmental Assessment will consider many issues, like the degradation of recreation sites and cultural resources, and mitigating the spread of invasive species. Amendments to the LUPs may include setting a maximum length of stay for campers; using prescribed fires to maintain desired plant communities; and establishing regulatory consistency with other jurisdictions managing recreation on adjacent lands.
By amending the Land Use Plans, the BLM intends to implement a more proactive management style that better addresses the current conditions and demands on the public lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota. This plan amendment will only address surface lands managed by the BLM. There will be no minerals addressed, specifically in regards to the Superior National Forest or on any adjacent lands in Minnesota. Comments on the proposed amendments will be accepted up to 15 days after the last public meeting.
Public meetings will be held at the following locations:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: September 29, 2016, Centennial Hall of the Milwaukee Public Library
733 N. Eighth Street, Ludwig E. Loos Room, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Cook, Minnesota: October 18, 2016, City of Cook Community Center, 510 Gopher Drive,
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin: October 19, 2016, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Energy Education Center, 4000 Campus Road, Room 103, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Stevens Point, Wisconsin: October 25, 2016, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1015 Reserve Street, Dreyfus University Center Theater, ground level, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
If you have any comments or issues that we should consider addressing in our analysis, please provide your comments using one of the following methods:
E-mail: kwadzins@blm.gov
Fax Number: (414) 297-4409, Attn: Mr. Kurt Wadzinski
U.S. Postal Service:
BLM Northeastern States District
Attn: Kurt Wadzinski
Planning and Environmental Coordinator
626 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 200
Milwaukee, WI 53202-4617
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that your entire comment including your personal identifying information may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from organizations, businesses, and individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or businesses, will be available for public review.
For additional information regarding the amendment to the LUPs for BLM-administered lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota, please visit the web site at https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=63441 and/or contact Derek Strohl, Natural Resource Specialist, at (414) 297-4416.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message. You will receive a reply during normal business hours from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDST.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2015, the BLM generated $4.1 billion in receipts from activities occurring on public lands.
