Eagle Mountain Boundary Study including Possible Land Withdrawal Environmental Assessment

The boundary study/EA considers the feasibility and impacts of expanding Joshua Tree National Park to include additional lands in the Eagle Mountain area. The boundary study/EA also evaluates the potential effects of a withdrawal and transfer of jurisdiction of federal lands in the area from the BLM to the NPS to protect resources related to the purpose of Joshua Tree National Park. The NPS has requested the withdrawal of public lands within the study area (approximately 22,515 acres managed by the BLM) for 20 years from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the public land laws, including the United States mining laws, and leasing or other disposition under mineral or geothermal leasing laws. The purpose of the withdrawal is to complete an administrative transfer of the identified public lands from the BLM to the NPS in accordance with 54 U.S.C. 100506(c)(1)(B) for administration as part of Joshua Tree National Park.

Topic Questions:

1. Of the alternatives presented in the boundary study and environmental assessment, which do you prefer? Please explain why.

2. Do you have any suggestions for improving the alternatives? If so, what are they?

3. Do you have any concerns with the proposed withdrawal and administrative transfer of BLM-managed federal lands to the National Park Services for management as part of Joshua Tree National Park?

4. Do you have any comments related to the study findings or the impacts in the environmental assessment?

Document Content:

JOTR_EagleMountain_EA_Public_Review_3_2016_PEPC.pdf   (14.2 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.