Q U I E T  S K I E S

The monument protects over 75 federally administered sites throughout the San Juan Islands which are prized by the local community for their solitude, scenery, wildlife, cultural and recreational opportunities. This management plan will guide the BLM’s management of the monument for the next 15-20 years. During March, the BLM will be accepting scoping comments to help determine what issues they’ll address in that management plan. Everyone who cares about the future of these lands is encouraged to contribute their thoughts either in person or in writing. A schedule of public meetings and an email address for information about the planning process can be found in their press release.

 

Why is this relevant to Quietskies?

Aircraft noise is not an issue the BLM would be able to directly manage in the monument plan, but the issue of noise and the impact on the recreational opportunities, the effect on wildlife (ecological values) and the potential of noise to degrade experiences surrounding the Native American sites could be issues BLM discusses in the development of the plan. The National Park Service is now considering noise as part of the environments it manages and the BLM could do the same.

• The BLM could be asked in the scoping process to include noise impact as an issue to be considered and they could be encouraged to build noise into plans for management and monitoring the environment and experience on monument lands.