Message from Hidemi Kira, NFMS President:
To ALAA Members and Rockhounds in the Pacific Northwest,
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is holding a series of public meetings across the west to gather information on a proposal to withdraw lands determined to be crucial to the survival of the greater sage-grouse from location and entry under the 1872 Mining Law, subject to valid existing rights. The BLM is also extending the public comment period on the withdrawal proposal until January 15, 2016 to allow the Secretary of the Interior to collect additional information relevant to the decision on whether to withdraw these areas from the location of new mining claims for up to 20 years. An interactive map of the areas included in the proposed withdrawal is available at www.blm.gov/sagegrouse.
Attached is a sample letter prepared by our 1st VP Jim Bosley for your use and edit as you see fit. Jim thinks each rock club needs to review the map of the proposed withdrawal areas and identify the specific area that they historically use for rockhounding and add to the letter.
Letters need to be submitted by January 15, 2016. The electronic address is included as well as the mailing address for the Director of the BLM.
Links
http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/BLM_GRSG_Withdrawal_Scoping_PR_Final_Nov13_2015.pdf
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/sagegrouse.html
Map of proposed areas
http://blm-egis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=45b2d7896c36467aac3990b739d75a26
Amount of letters will count, so please write as your club and pass this sample letter to your members for them to write as an individual.
And this affects a lot of small communities, so please try to get those community leaders in your area involved.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
