Central Yukon RMP/EIS, AK

CLIENT: Bureau of Land Management

The Dalton Highway in Alaska

The Dalton Highway in Alaska

FAST FACTS:

  • Planning area covers more than 57 million acres

  • Collaborated with state and federal agencies, native corporations, Tribes, and non-governmental organizations

  • Integrated local community knowledge, resource data, and the latest information

  • Relevant to current and future issues common on BLM-managed lands

  • Utilized an interdisciplinary approach to develop goals, objectives, and management strategies for day-to-day and long-term resource management

Mount Sukapak

Mount Sukapak

In collaboration with the BLM Central Yukon Field Office, EMPSi is preparing a RMP and EIS for a 57-million-acre planning area in central and northern Alaska. The planning area includes 24 remote villages and three Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act regional corporation boundaries. Lands of note in the planning area include the Dalton Highway Utility Corridor, Central Arctic Management Area wilderness study locations, and a segment of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Primary uses of the planning area include recreation (including commercial guiding), tourism, transportation and utility rights-of-way, access, communication sites, mineral entry and development, and subsistence activities.

The new RMP will include decisions related to management of peoples’ uses and activities such as recreation and mining; protection of areas with unique values; and management of wildlife and fish habitats, vegetation, cultural sites, and other cultural and natural resources. Key issues include increasing recreational use; access and off-highway vehicle use; impacts from mining and new mineral development; identification of areas of critical environmental concern; potential additions to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system; and protection of subsistence economies and traditional lifestyles.

EMPSi's performance has been outstanding and they are very easy to work with. The project team takes a proactive approach to each step. They have worked collaboratively in problem solving a number of obstacles based on new direction. The quality control for the project has been outstanding.

— Chel Ethun, BLM Project Manager