Multiple-Use Plan will impact users of public lands

THREE CREEK- The 71 Livestock Association is taking a proactive approach to the Bureau of Land Management's proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement, which will affect the general public, hunters and sportsmen, livestock grazers, and off-road and recreation users.

The Jarbidge Coalition for Multiple-Use will hold an open house to discuss the Multiple-Use Plan on Jan. 18 from 5-8 p.m. in KMVT's Community Room. The coalition was created by the 71 Livestock Association, Magic Valley ATV Riders Inc., and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife specifically to comment on the BLM Jarbidge Field Office's RMP. The plan was created as a result of this collaborative effort. The coalition is currently soliciting membership from individuals, businesses, community organizations, and local governments. Membership is free and can be completed online.

"We strongly encourage users of public lands to comment on the Jarbidge RMP. Links to the executive summary of the Multiple-Use Plan are available. Simply log onto our web site at www.71association.org," said Gus Brackett, secretary of the 71 Livestock Association. "The plan has been a collaborative effort within the Jarbidge Coalition for Multiple-Use. It was created to ensure the long term sustainability of the land from an economic, ecologic, and social perspective."

The RMP will provide direction for managing public lands in the BLM's Jarbidge Field Office for the next 15 to 20 years. The planning area boundary extends from the Bruneau River on the west to Salmon Falls Creek on the east, and from the Snake River on the north to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest on the south. It includes Elmore, Owyhee, and Twin Falls Counties in southern Idaho, and Elko County in northern Nevada.

For 94 years, the 71 Livestock Association has served as a forum for federal, state, and local governmental agencies and livestock ranchers in the 71 area to discuss rangeland policy issues, range ecology, and our ranching heritage.

For more information, contact Gus Brackett at 857-2286 or gusbrackett@rtci.net. Members of the Jarbidge Coalition for Multiple-Use are available for interview or comment.

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