30-DAY Protest Period  July 19, 2024 - August 19, 2024

Pursuant to the BLM’s planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.5-2, any person who previously participated in the planning process and has an interest that is or may be adversely affected by the planning decisions, may protest approval of the planning decisions within 30 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

The regulations specify the required elements of your protest. Take care to document all relevant facts. As much as possible, reference or cite the planning documents or available planning records (e.g., meeting minutes or summaries, correspondence, etc.).

Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the PRMPA and FEIS may be found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth below, or submitted electronically through this project website (see "Participate now" button). Protests submitted electronically by any means other than the project website protest section will be invalid unless a protest is also submitted in hard copy. Protests submitted by fax will also be invalid unless also submitted either through the project website protest section or in hard copy. All protests submitted in writing must be mailed to the following address:

BLM Director

Attention: Protest Coordinator (HQ210)

Denver Federal Center, Building 40 (Door W-4)

Lakewood, CO 80215

The BLM Director will make every attempt to promptly render a decision on each protest. The decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by certified mail, with return receipt requested. The BLM Director's decision shall be the Department of the Interior's final decision on each protest. Responses to valid protest issues will be compiled and documented in a Director's Protest Resolution Report made available following the protest resolution online at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports.

Upon resolution of all land-use plan protests, the BLM will issue an Approved RMPA and Record of Decision (ROD). The Approved RMPA and ROD will be mailed or made available electronically to all who participated in the planning process and will be available on the project website at: https://go.usa.gov/xzXxY.

A Notice of Intent was published July 19, 2022 with a 45-day public scoping period. In-person and virtual meetings were offered. The BLM published the Notice of Availability for the draft in the Federal Register on November 9, 2023 announcing availability of the Draft RMPA/EIS for public comment.  Comments could be made until midnight MST on February 6, 2024 through this project website or by mailing written comments to the project team. In person meetings were held in Durango, Craig, and Rifle in December 2023. Two virtual meetings were also held. Meeting materials are available under the documents tab.

Project Mailing List

Please email [email protected] or complete the following form: http://eepurl.com/h55KQ1

We would like to keep you informed about this project. We can do this if you include contact information with your comments. However, before including your address, phone number, e -mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, please be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time.