Advanced Resource Solutions, Inc. - Representative Projects

Advanced Resource Solutions, Inc.

Specializing in Land Use, Travel Management and Recreation Planning, Mediation and Environmental Compliance

Representative Projects

ARS staff has experience with both state and federal land management agencies. A few of our more recent projects include:

West Mojave Plan - Field Surveying, Public Outreach, Mapping and Route Evaluation and Designation, EA and EIS Preparation

ARS assisted the California Desert District of BLM with the West Mojave Plan (WEMO) by leading the community outreach efforts, authoring sections of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and supervising the route inventory project. This federal management plan and private land Habitat Conservation Plan addressed a 9 million acre planning area, with 3 million acres of BLM-managed lands, 3 million acres of private lands, and the remainder military lands. Major issues included protection of over 100 threatened, endangered and sensitive species, off-highway vehicle access, community development, mining and grazing.

ARS led workshops and guided the public through the Route Evaluation Process^© to gather input on whether routes of travel would be designated as open, closed or limited use access. Outreach for this project included direct work with the OHV community, the recreational user groups, the environmental community, hunters, equestrians, miners, rock hounds, campers, explorers, and local and state governmental representatives.

ARS prepared specific descriptions and analyses of all applicable West Mojave Desert subregions, the principal recreation activities that took place in each of these subregions, and the route status in each of these subregions. Additionally, ARS prepared the recreation sections of the WEMO EA and EIS. ARS assessed the impact of routes on vehicular access / travel management planning, recreation opportunities and commercial access. ARS also assisted with the assessment of the effect these routes would have on local communities and on sensitive resources. The map data discussed above, as well as the resultant maps, were incorporated and analyzed in the recreation sections of the WEMO EIS. Further, ARS staff developed the alternatives analyses related to the recreation sections of the EIS, discussing potential effects of impacts in regard to a range of recreation plan alternatives.

During the route inventory project, ARS supervised approximately 30 individuals from various interest groups of the West Mojave Desert region, with whom ARS staff operated GPS units from motor vehicles in order to locate and map routes of travel. Over 6,000 miles of routes were mapped and inventoried for recreational and commercial access attributes. ARS staff inputted this data into databases, assisted with the development of maps, reviewed the accuracy of the maps, and revised the maps as necessary to correctly reflect the field data.

Grand Canyon-Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments Travel Management Planning

ARS staff began working with BLM and National Park Service in 2003 designating motorized routes on approximately one million acres of public lands within the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and approximately 300,000 acres of public lands within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

In addition to working closely with BLM staff in the evaluation of routes, ARS staff have assisted with facilitating the collaborative process with the Plan’s Cooperators (e.g., local counties from Arizona, Nevada, Utah; NPS; local tribal councils; ranching associations, environmental groups, and various OHV and recreational groups).

Dixie National Forest Working Groups and Public Meetings for Travel Management Planning

ARS assisted Dixie National Forest during their working group and public meetings introducing their Motorized Travel Planning project. Together with Forest Service staff, ARS assisted with defining and refining the agenda for the meetings, of which there were four working group meetings and five public meetings. ARS participated in each of the meetings by interacting with the members of the public and interested organizations by explaining the planning project, the technical processes used and answering a wide range of questions to provide the public with a better understanding of the overall goals of the project and the processes that will be used to reach those goals. With the feedback gathered from the meetings, ARS has assisted Dixie National Forest with further refining the project and possible future public outreach needs.

The project was successful in raising public awareness and acceptance of the Dixie National Forest Motorized Travel Planning project. Through this collaborative process, the individuals and organizations were provided with an open opportunity to express their concerns and needs, have their questions answered and provide Dixie National Forest with their level of interest in participating further in the project.

Middle Gila Conservation Partnership - Facilitation and Route Evaluation and Designation

ARS staff facilitated the Middle Gila Conservation Partnership (MGCP) in the evaluation of motorized routes on the public lands located between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona (approximately 230,000 acres). The Partnership consists of multiple agencies (including BLM, USFS, NPS, USFWS, Arizona Game & Fish, Arizona State Land Department, Arizona Army National Guard, Arizona Indian Nations, Arizona Resource Advisory Council, Arizona State Parks, local governments) and private interest groups (including conservationists, recreationists, ranchers and miners).

The Partnership was established in approximately 2000 to resolve conflicts between the various interest groups and the agencies regarding how to reconcile the growing demand for OHV-related recreation with the need and legal obligations to protect sensitive cultural and natural resources. During its first three years (consisting of monthly all-day meetings), the Partnership gained agreement on a Mission Statement and identified management goals.

ARS was hired in 2004. We have successfully taught the participants the Route Evaluation Tree Process^© and guided the participants in the successful evaluation of approximately 900 miles of routes for three different alternatives, which includes the most highly controversial routes for which the group was founded to resolve. This level of progress with this group has been viewed as a great success and has been attributed by Partnership and outside onlookers as being both due to the mechanics of the Route Evaluation Tree Process^© and the facilitation skills of the ARS staff.

In October 2005, the MGCP presented their Motorized Route Evaluation Report to representatives of the land management agencies (e.g. BLM, Arizona State Parks, local governments). Their presentation included the work products from their route evaluation process and a report discussing their purpose, objectives and conclusions.