OCR Text |
Show BLM Extends Scoping Period The Bureau of Land Management Manage-ment has added an additional month to the formal scoping period for the Wilderness Study Area (WSA) Planning Project. Comments received re-ceived on or before June 21, 1999 will now be accepted as part of the formal scoping process. According to acting Utah BLM State Director Linda Colville, the extension is in response to requests for additional time. The extension expands the formal scoping period to 96 days, or a little over three months. Colville also explained that scoping is a continuing process and BLM planners will do their best to consider comments whenever they are received. "Although the official public scoping period ends on June 21," said Colville, "we will continue to accept input from the public throughout this process. Everyone who wants to participate can have a voice in ibis important planning (See SCOPINo on page 3-A) SCOPING From Front Page project to determine if new Wilderness Wilder-ness Study Areas should be established estab-lished in Utah." Scoping is the first of several opportunities for public involvement involve-ment during the WSA planning process. Scoping is the part of the planning process where the public can provide their initial feedback on issues and concerns. This input will then be used by planners to develop a draft Environmental Impact Im-pact Statement (EIS) and Plan Amendments. There will be another an-other extensive formal opportunity for feedback once the draft is released re-leased next winter. As part of the scoping process, the BLM is continuing in its series of scoping open houses. Three open houses were held in southern Utah last week. Eight more open houses are slated in various towns and cities across the state between May 3 and 7. |