ShareTrails | Plan Will Update Management for Nearly 400,000 Acres in Northwest California

The Redding and Arcata Bureau of Land Management Field offices in northwest California are redoing the Resource Management Plan that will direct future management decisions for BLM managed lands. The entire area includes 14.4 million acres however, BLM only manages 382,200 acres of that. Be assured however, if BLM manages areas as wilderness, adjacent and surrounding lands that are owned and managed by another entity, will be affected. In 2022, BRC and it’s members submitted scoping comments voicing the importance of continued land access through roads for recreation and other uses. Comments are accepted until December 28, 2023.

BRC supports Alternative C. Alternative D which is the preferred alternative as well as the “balanced” option would designated 26 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). ACECs haver historically led to reduced access issues and road decommissioning.

Alternative B: Would designate 117 river segments as protected through the Wild and Scenic River Protection Act, 25 ACEC’s. 4 wilderness study areas, five designated wilderness areas, 12,090 acres with wilderness characteristics, 21,970 acres of lands with wilderness characteristics

Currently within the project boundaries there are 4 WSA’s and 5 designated Wilderness areas. You can see in the table below proposals to manage acres as wilderness in every single alternative. BRC believes that the BLM did not fully comply with NEPA to develop a broad range of alternatives meaning that the “access” alternative does not analyze expanding access and recreation but closes more areas than are currently open. BLM should analyze an alternative that is truly a recreation and access friendly alternative.

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Counties within the planning area have seen tremendous growth in population. Tehama County has grown by 30% alone in the past 30 years. This land needs to not only sustain current population but the growing population and growing use of public lands. Good management will prevent wildfires and will help local communities reap the economic benefits of public lands while providing outdoor access to those who seek it. This area has already seen devastating wildfires. The Carr and and Camp Wildfires have destroyed the planning area previously. BLM needs to take into consideration past fires and the possibility of more fires within this planning area and take every precaution possible to prevent wildfires moving forward. A modified Alternative D is the only option that will comply with this need. Send a comment to the BLM below.