The TMP/EA and Draft Implementation Guide were available for review June 26 through August 10, 2024.  Only Substantive (specific and meaningful) Comments will be addressed, either by modifications to the EA/TMP document or in a comment response document. Please see below for a description of how to make useful comments. 

Comments must be in writing and may be submitted in the following ways: 

• Use of the Participate Now comment portal is encouraged but written comments may also be submitted by email, mail, or hand delivery. 
• Email to: [email protected]   Comments sent to other email addresses will not be considered.
• US Mail or Hand delivery to: BLM Arizona State Office, ATTN: Yuma East / Gila River TMP,  One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004 or
•        BLM Yuma Field Office, ATTN: Yuma East / Gila River TMP, 7341 E. 30th St., Yuma, AZ 85365.

Substantive comments are specific to the project and meaningful and do one or more of the following:

    • question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of information in the EA.

    • question, with reasonable basis, the adequacy of, methodology for, or assumptions used for the environmental analysis.

    • present new information relevant to the analysis. (such as, "Route YG1032 is an important route for recreational access to the Bonita Valley. The Bonita Valley is a very popular deer hunting area. Please consider making this route open with no restrictions during deer season."  "Route YG1033 is a redundant route to YG1032 plus the soil is so soft that vehicles frequently get stuck there and cause a lot of damage to the resource.")

    • present reasonable alternatives other than those analyzed in the EA.

    • cause changes or revisions in one or more of the alternatives.

Comments that are not considered substantive include the following: 

• comments in favor of or against the proposed action or alternatives without reasoning that meet the criteria listed above (such as “we disagree with Alternative Two and believe the BLM should select Alternative Three”).

• comments that only agree or disagree with BLM policy or resource decisions without justification or supporting data that meet the criteria listed above (such as “all trails should remain open”).

• comments that don’t pertain to the project area or the project (such as “The BLM should stop all solar projects on public land!”).

• comments that take the form of vague, open-ended questions. 

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The BLM hosted two in-person public meetings to provide information about the proposed TMP and how to participate in the TMP planning process. 

Meeting 1: Wednesday, June 26, from 5-7 p.m. MST/PDT, at the Yuma County Main Library at 2951 S. 21st Dr., Yuma, AZ 85364.

Meeting 2: Thursday, June 27, from 5-7 p.m. MST/PDT, at the Microtel Inn & Suites in Wellton at 28784 Commerce Way, Wellton, AZ 85356.

For more information, please see the news release.  

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To view the route inventory for the Yuma East/Gila River Travel Management Area, please check out the Yuma East/Gila River Travel Management Plan StoryMap: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e0d8280dc74c46caa7dbc14df1d3a331