Staff from the Bureau of Land Management will provide information and answer questions regarding planning for greater sage grouse, in a public meeting Friday, June 29, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Niles Hotel, 304 S. Main St. in Alturas. The meeting is one of four in Nevada and northeastern California.

The draft Environmental Impact Statements and amendments to the 2015 plans were published on May 4, 2018, beginning a 90-day public comment period. The public meetings will help attendees learn about the draft plan amendments and formulate written submissions, before the comment period ends on August 2, 2018.

Western governors have sought changes to the 2015 plans for BLM-managed lands in their states, which spurred the BLM in proceeding with the plan amendments. Comments on the draft amendments will guide the BLM in finalizing changes that build on and strengthen these plans to conserve public land habitat in cooperation with state plans for managing wildlife species.

Plan amendments could affect up to 61 land-use plans for about 53 million acres of public land in seven western states.  In northeast California and Nevada, 11 plans, including the Alturas, Eagle Lake and Surprise field office resource management plans, could be revised. These plans guide management on 20.5 million acres of public land, including approximately 2.4 million acres of public land in northeast California.

The public meetings will be held in an open-house format, with BLM specialists attending information stations to provide answers or additional information. Computers will be available to the public for submitting comments. 

In addition to the Alturas meeting, sessions will be held June 26, at the Nugget Hotel in Sparks; June 27, at the Bristlecone Convention Center in Ely, Nevada; and June 28 at the Elko Convention Center in Elko, Nevada.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska.  The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.  The agency'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.  Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $75 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2016 - more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior.  These activities supported more than 372,000 jobs.