The Journal
The Bureau of Land Management Tres Rios Field Office has released its Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Assessment to designate three Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in San Miguel and Montezuma counties.
The amendment designates the Mesa Verde Escarpment ACEC in San Miguel County and the ancestral Puebloan and Gypsum Valley ACECs in Montezuma County, which together cover approximately 14,335 acres.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act directs the BLM to give priority to the identification and potential designation of areas of critical environmental concern during the land use planning process.
The Final Environmental Assessment and Resource Management Plan has been released for a 30-day protest period ending Oct. 16. Full documents and instructions commenting are available online at go.usa.gov/xnU6U.