BLM to revise plan for southeastern New Mexico

CARLSBAD, N.M.

The Bureau of Land Management is starting to update its plan for managing everything from oil and natural gas development to wildlife and recreation across millions of acres in southeastern New Mexico.

The new resource management plan for public lands in Eddy, Lea and southwestern Chaves counties will provide overall management direction for the next two decades for some two million surface acres and more than four million acres of federal mineral estate.

BLM spokesman Hans Stuart says there are a lot of issues in this area of New Mexico and the agency is encouraging people to comment since resource plan updates are done only every 20 years.

A series of public meetings are planned over the next month in Artesia, Carlsbad, Hobbs, Hope and Jal.