| OCR Text |
Show BLM PROPOSES REVISED RULES FOR ORV USE Proposed revisions to regulations governing the use of off-road vehicles (OVR's) on Federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have been issued by the bureau. The proposed revisions responded to Executive Order Or-der No. 11644 of February 8, 1972, concerning management manage-ment of off -road vehicles on Federal land, and to a decision and order of the UJS. District Court for the District of Columbia issued May 2, 1975, according to Paul L. Howard, BLM state director in Utah. The Court, as a result of a suit by the National Wildlife Federation, ruled that BLM's existing regulations, regula-tions, together with the Department's orginal Environmental En-vironmental Impact Statement, State-ment, which described alternatives alter-natives for the regulations, were inadequate. The Court also held that the BLM's regulations reg-ulations did not meet the criteria of the Executive Execu-tive Order. A draft Environmental Im pact Statement, prepared by the Bureau of Outdoor Rec -reation in cooperation with other agencies, was issued Thursday, July 22, 1976. It covered ORV use on all lands administered by the Department Depart-ment of the Interior. BLM will schedule in the near future a series of public meetings in Western States to discuss the proposed revisions. Interested parties have until October 7, 1976, to submit written comments, suggestions, or objections to the Director (201), BLM, Washington, D.C. 20240. Under the proposed regulation regu-lation revisions, all BLM -administered lands, with the exception of existing primitive primi-tive and natural areas, are undesignated with regard to ORV use until they have been evaluated and designated in accordance with procedures and criteria specified in the executive order. This process pro-cess has been completed for areas of the California Desert and will proceed bureau-wide when the regulations reg-ulations go into effect. Designations will be made continuously until all BLM-administered BLM-administered areas will be "open," "closed," or "regulated" "reg-ulated" with regard to ORV use. Initial efforts receiving receiv-ing top priority will be concentrated con-centrated in southern California, Calif-ornia, problem areas in Alaska, southern Nevada, western Arizona, and central cen-tral Utah. These areas receive re-ceive about 60 percent of the ORV use on the lands administered by BLM. Evaluation and designation criteria have been changed to reflect the executive order. Endangered species will receive special consideration consid-eration following the intent of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The proposed revisions also reflect the en -forcement authority conveyed convey-ed in several recently enacted en-acted laws. |
