Planning criteria are the constraints or ground rules that guide and direct the development of the plan. Criteria are taken from laws and regulations, BLM guidance, and input from state, county, and federal agencies, Indian tribes, and the public. These criteria were developed by the BLM to assure that the planning process and decision-making are focused on the pertinent issues, and to ensure that the BLM avoids unnecessary data collection and analyses. The criteria were used at four stages of the planning process (resource inventory, assessment of the current situation [which includes a description of current BLM guidance, discussion of existing problems, and opportunities to resolve them], formulation of alternatives, and selection of the Preferred Alternative).
The basic planning criteria are identified in Section 202 of the FLPMA:
Follow the principles of multiple use and sustained yield.
Use a systematic interdisciplinary approach, fully considering physical, biological, economic, and social aspects of public land management.
Identify, designate, protect, and specially manage Areas of Critical Environmental Concern ( ACEC s).
Consider the relative significance of public land products, services, and use to local economies.
Rely on the inventory of public lands, their resources, and other values to the extent such information is available.
Consider present and potential uses of public lands.
Consider the impact of federally approved actions on adjacent or nearby non-federal lands and on private land surface over federally owned subsurface minerals.
Consider the relative scarcity of the values involved and alternative means and sites for realization of those values.
Weigh the long-term benefits and consequences of proposed actions against short-term benefits and consequences.
Comply with applicable pollution control laws, including state and federal air, water, noise, and other pollution standards and plans.
Coordinate, to the extent consistent with public laws, resource planning and management programs of other federal departments and agencies, states, local governments, and Indian tribes.
Provide the public with early notices and frequent opportunities to participate in the preparation of plans.
Manage the public lands to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the lands.