BLM Advisory Committee to meet in Friday Harbor

The Bureau of Land Management today announced it will hold a meeting of the San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee, demonstrating that partnerships and inclusion are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands. The public is welcome to attend the meeting which will occur on Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Friday Harbor Grange, 152 First St., Friday Harbor, Wash., from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Planned agenda items at the meeting include the potential impacts of the Monument Resource Management Plan’s alternatives to recreation, to vegetation communities, to cultural resources and to wildlife. Potential impacts to socio-economics, tribal interests and lands with wilderness characteristics will also be discussed.  

“The San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee is an important forum for the community conversation that is a key component of public land management,” said Linda Clark, BLM Spokane District Manager. “By having the public participating in that conversation, we ensure the advice we get reflects a variety of perspectives on land and resource use issues.”

A 45-minute comment period, during which the public may address the Monument Advisory Committee, will begin at 1:45 p.m. Depending on the number of people wishing to comment and time available, the amount of time for individual oral comments may be limited.

Resource Advisory Councils are critical in assisting the BLM in continuing to be a good neighbor in the communities we serve. The 12-member Monument Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations to the BLM on resource and land management issues within the San Juan Islands National Monument. Monument Advisory Committee members are citizens who represent public land interests associated with the local area, and who may also advise the District Office.

For more information about the upcoming Monument Advisory Committee meeting, please contact Marcia deChadenèdes, San Juan Islands National Monument Manager, at P.O. Box 3, Lopez Island, WA 98261, (360) 468-3051, or [email protected].

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.

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