Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas (Trails, Picnic Areas, Campgrounds, Beaches); DD: 08/24/2007
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
July 26, 2007
In Reply Refer To:
8300 (250) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 08/02/2007
Instruction Memorandum No. 2007-161
Expires: 09/30/2008
To: All Field Office Officials
Attn: State Engineers
From: Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning
Subject: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) – Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas (Trails, Picnic Areas, Campgrounds, Beaches) DD: 08/24/2007
Program Areas: Engineering and Recreation and Visitor Services.
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum serves as a request for comments on the Proposed Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas released by the U.S. Access Board as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on June 20, 2007.
Policy/Action: The Department of the Interior (DOI) has asked each Bureau to review and comment on these proposed regulations in order to develop a coordinated DOI response to the Access Board. The guidelines are posted on the Access Board Website at: www.access-board.gov/outdoor/nprm. The Access Board seeks to clarify how, and to what extent, accessibility criteria can be applied to outdoor developed areas. Comments, both positive and negative, are sought on the proposed technical specifications with particular attention to the numerous questions posed by the Access Board throughout the NPRM. In addition, the Access Board will hold public hearings on the guidelines in Denver on July 24th and in Washington, D.C. on September 6th.
Timeframe: Please forward your state’s comments to Kay Ellis, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Accessibility Coordinator, WO-250, (Kay_Ellis@blm.gov) by August 24, 2007, for consolidation into the BLM response to the DOI.
Budget Impact: This review will create no significant budget impact.
Background: The U.S. Access Board has released for public comment proposed accessibility guidelines for Federal parks and recreation areas. As proposed, the guidelines address access to new or altered trails, beaches, and picnic and camping areas on sites managed by the Federal government which are subject to the Architectural Barriers Act. Achieving accessibility in outdoor environments has always been a challenge due to constraints posed by terrain, the degree of development, construction practices and materials, and other factors. These guidelines address those unique issues.
Once approved, these guidelines will serve as a “stand alone†document that supplements the Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards, and adherence by the BLM will be mandatory.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None.
Coordination: This document was coordinated with the Division of Recreation and Visitor Services (WO-250) and the Division of Engineering and Environmental Services (WO-360).
Contact: For additional information or assistance, contact the BLM National Accessibility Coordinator, Kay Ellis at (202) 452-7799.
Signed by:
Authenticated by:
Robert D. Roudabush
Robert M. Williams
Acting, Deputy Assistant Director
Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
Renewable Resources and Planning