Juniper Dunes Planning
Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 10:43 am
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Border Field Office
1103 N. Fancher Rd.
Spokane Valley, Washington 99212
http://blm.gov/or
May 14, 2019
In Reply Refer To:
8300 (ORW030) P
Dear Interested Stakeholder,
The Border Field Office, Spokane District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking your input on your public lands known as the Juniper Dunes. We will be addressing recreation use and needs for approximately 19,600 acres of public land in Franklin County. The area known as Juniper Dunes encompasses the Juniper Dunes Wilderness designated in 1984, and the Juniper Dunes off-highway vehicle (OHV) open area.
Why Now?
For over three decades there has been no legal public access to the privately-surrounded Juniper Dunes area. In 2011 Federal Highways granted $1.2 million to Franklin County, and BLM contributed $1 million to develop a legal public access road to the Juniper Dunes area. Road construction commenced in late 2018 and is anticipated to be completed by late spring 2019. Currently, BLM estimates 30,000 visitors annually use the area.
Purpose of requesting public input:
With completion of the new county road, BLM recognizes the possibility of a significant increase in visitors, to both the OHV area and adjacent Wilderness Area. In anticipation of the increased use of this new access will bring, the BLM is committed to engaging with long-term and new stakeholders. Prior to developing any proposals regarding the management of the Juniper Dunes area the BLM is seeking your input.
The Spokane BLM hired Kearns and West (K&W) to provide facilitation services to assist in gathering stakeholder/public perspectives. Our objective is to understand why Juniper Dunes is important to you.
What part of Juniper Dunes do you use, and how do you use it?
Do you have a concern with an increase in use?
What are other people, for example, your friends and neighbors, concerned about?
Do you know about any existing/anticipated user conflicts?
Is there any potential future development you would like to see?
If you are interested in meeting with a BLM representative during the week of July 22, at the Red Lion Columbia Center in Kennewick, WA, we would greatly appreciate your participation. We have scheduled two sessions, July 22, starting at 5:30 pm and ending at 8:30 pm and July 23 starting at 9:00 am and ending at 1:00 pm.
In addition, we would also welcome your written input that responds to the questions identified above. For anyone that is unavailable on these dates or is located out of the area, we could arrange for a phone interview. Please send written input to
BLM Border Field Office
1103 N. Fancher Rd.
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
Or via email to blm_or_sp_mail@blm.gov. Please put Juniper Dunes in the subject line of any email correspondence.
We will use the information we gather to incorporate into future management of the Juniper Dunes area.
Sincerely,
Eric Holborn
Acting Field Manager
Border Field Office
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Border Field Office
1103 N. Fancher Rd.
Spokane Valley, Washington 99212
http://blm.gov/or
May 14, 2019
In Reply Refer To:
8300 (ORW030) P
Dear Interested Stakeholder,
The Border Field Office, Spokane District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking your input on your public lands known as the Juniper Dunes. We will be addressing recreation use and needs for approximately 19,600 acres of public land in Franklin County. The area known as Juniper Dunes encompasses the Juniper Dunes Wilderness designated in 1984, and the Juniper Dunes off-highway vehicle (OHV) open area.
Why Now?
For over three decades there has been no legal public access to the privately-surrounded Juniper Dunes area. In 2011 Federal Highways granted $1.2 million to Franklin County, and BLM contributed $1 million to develop a legal public access road to the Juniper Dunes area. Road construction commenced in late 2018 and is anticipated to be completed by late spring 2019. Currently, BLM estimates 30,000 visitors annually use the area.
Purpose of requesting public input:
With completion of the new county road, BLM recognizes the possibility of a significant increase in visitors, to both the OHV area and adjacent Wilderness Area. In anticipation of the increased use of this new access will bring, the BLM is committed to engaging with long-term and new stakeholders. Prior to developing any proposals regarding the management of the Juniper Dunes area the BLM is seeking your input.
The Spokane BLM hired Kearns and West (K&W) to provide facilitation services to assist in gathering stakeholder/public perspectives. Our objective is to understand why Juniper Dunes is important to you.
What part of Juniper Dunes do you use, and how do you use it?
Do you have a concern with an increase in use?
What are other people, for example, your friends and neighbors, concerned about?
Do you know about any existing/anticipated user conflicts?
Is there any potential future development you would like to see?
If you are interested in meeting with a BLM representative during the week of July 22, at the Red Lion Columbia Center in Kennewick, WA, we would greatly appreciate your participation. We have scheduled two sessions, July 22, starting at 5:30 pm and ending at 8:30 pm and July 23 starting at 9:00 am and ending at 1:00 pm.
In addition, we would also welcome your written input that responds to the questions identified above. For anyone that is unavailable on these dates or is located out of the area, we could arrange for a phone interview. Please send written input to
BLM Border Field Office
1103 N. Fancher Rd.
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
Or via email to blm_or_sp_mail@blm.gov. Please put Juniper Dunes in the subject line of any email correspondence.
We will use the information we gather to incorporate into future management of the Juniper Dunes area.
Sincerely,
Eric Holborn
Acting Field Manager
Border Field Office