GRAND CANYON, ARIZ. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced a 30-day extension of the public comment period for the Northern Arizona Proposed Withdrawal Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The study is a comprehensive environmental analysis of the effects of withdrawing public land north and south of the Grand Canyon from new filings of mining claims.

The Federal agencies involved had allowed 45 days for the public to comment on the Draft EIS. Because of numerous requests, the agencies are extending the comment period by 30 days to May 4, 2011. The comment period was due to close on April 4.

No additional public meetings will be held during the extended public comment period.

The Draft EIS assesses the environmental, social, and economic impacts associated with the withdrawal of lands in the Grand Canyon watershed. The withdrawal would affect uranium and other hardrock mining.

Under the study’s Proposed Alternative, the BLM would withdraw more than 1 million acres from location and entry of hardrock mining claims for 20 years. The withdrawal would not affect mining claims with valid existing rights.

The Draft EIS and other information are available at http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/mining/timeout.html.

The preferred method of commenting on the Draft EIS is by written submissions to the email address [email protected]. Comments can also be mailed to: Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Strip District,
345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790.

The BLM is the lead agency in preparing the EIS. Other cooperating agencies include the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Service, and multiple local and tribal organizations in Arizona and Utah.

Information on this and other BLM Arizona projects are available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/blmarizona