Land And Resource Management Plan

The purpose of the RMP [Resource Management Plan] is to guide management of the pubic lands and resources in the GRA [Grand Resource Area]. Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop, maintain, and revise land use plans for management of the public lands and their resources, with public involvement ... A second need for the preparation of this plan is to meet the requirements for a site-specific grazing EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] ordered by the United States District Court, District of Columbia, in 'Natural Resources Defense Council Inc. vs. Morton', 388 F. Supp. 829 (1974). The GRA grazing EIS was incorporated into the RMP/EIS; livestock management was identified as a required issue for impact analysis.

This book reconciles competing and sometimes contradictory forms of land use, while also promoting sustainable land use options. It highlights land use planning, spatial planning, territorial (or regional) planning, and ecosystem-based or environmental land use planning as tools that strengthen land governance. Further, it demonstrates how to use these types of land-use planning to improve economic opportunities based on sustainable management of land resources, and to develop land use options that strike a balance between conservation and development objectives. Competition for land is increasing as demand for multiple land uses and ecosystem services rises. Food security issues, renewable energy and emerging carbon markets are creating pressures for the conversion of agricultural land to other uses such as reforestation and biofuels. At the same time, there is a growing demand for land in connection with urbanization and recreation, mining, food production, and biodiversity conservation. Managing the increasing competition between these services, and balancing different stakeholders’ interests, requires efficient allocation of land resources.