FORT COLLINS, Colo. and WESTFORD, Mass., Feb. 24, 2003 -- ENSR International, an environmental and energy development services firm with 45 US offices, has been awarded a large multi-year Resource Management Plan (RMP) contract by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the Ely District in Nevada.
This project will be funded through ENSR's five-year master GSA contract vehicle. The Ely District supports major recreation, mining, livestock grazing, watershed maintenance, and other land uses, and contains significant wildlife, cultural, and scenic resources. ENSR will help BLM develop a management plan for the 11.4 million-acre District using an ecosystem-based management approach.
A key objective of the RMP is to implement ecosystem restoration in Eastern Nevada, which has experienced significant changes over the past few decades, most recently from a combination of grazing, invasive weeds, and extensive wildfires.
ENSR, through its Fort Collins, CO office, has assisted the BLM for over 20 years with numerous environmental and planning projects throughout Nevada.
According to Drew Ludwig, ENSR's Senior Project Manager for the RMP, "We are very pleased to be working with the Ely Field Office on this important RMP. Our extensive experience in this area will allow us to complete the RMP very effectively."
ENSR is developing a public involvement program, including a web site to communicate project information and solicit public input in the planning process. ENSR will prepare the environmental impact statement (EIS) required for the revised RMP and respond to public and agency comments on management alternatives.
The revised RMP/Final EIS is scheduled for release in Fall 2004. ENSR will also prepare a biological assessment for endangered species, a geographic information system-based (GIS) mapping and data presentation, and technical reports on mineral potential, air quality, socioeconomics, ethnography, and paleontology, in addition to assisting with the RMP.
ENSR International (www.ensr.com) is a worldwide environmental and energy development services company with 35 years of experience serving government agencies and industrial companies with environmental solutions from 70 worldwide locations. ENSR is an Environmental Business Journal Award winner in 2001 and 2002.
