News Release
| Release Number: | 05-129 |
| Dated: | 9/19/2005 |
| Contact: | Jennifer A. Sowell, 503-808-4510 |
PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites the public to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 24. There will be volunteer as well as free recreation opportunities. Come get your hands dirty and help keep your public lands beautiful.
This is the 12th year for National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands. As many as 90,000 Americans are expected at 650 sites this year to help preserve and protect their favorite public places for themselves and future generations.
“Each year, more and more Americans come out to lend a hand on this special Saturday in September, and we invite everyone to join us,” said Robb Hampton, director of National Public Lands Day.
Volunteers are needed at Bonneville Lock and Dam to work on improving trails, restoring habitat and removing invasive plant species. Volunteers should bring a sack lunch and snacks and arrive at 9 a.m. to register at the Bonneville Project Auditorium on the Oregon side of the project. Activities are from 9 a.m. to noon; water, trash bags and gloves will be provided.
To participate, please contact Bonneville park rangers at (541) 374-8344. You can also help out on your own by collecting trash throughout the day and bringing it to the roadway for collection.
After the organized activities, park rangers will lead an informative tour about the Columbia River salmon, and visit Tanner Creek and the Bonneville fish hatchery to view the returning adult Chinook salmon. Bonneville Lock and Dam is located 40 miles east of Portland at exit 40 off of Interstate 84.
Volunteers are also needed to help out on the Eugene-Pacific Crest Trail at Lookout Point Reservoir east of Eugene, near the town of Lowell, Ore. From 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., volunteers will clear brush from the trail and spread gravel to armor muddy areas on the trail. Volunteers should meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Lookout Point Dam Overlook. Volunteers should bring their own work gloves, but water and snacks will be provided. For more information and to volunteer, please contact Park Ranger Christie Johnson at (541) 937-2129.
These and other NPLD events are registered on the official website at www.npld.com. Volunteers at NPLD Corps-sponsored events will receive a pass for free entry at any participating federal agency park, forest or recreation area any day during the next year. All volunteers should dress for the weather and wear hiking or outdoor work shoes.
One out of every three acres of America's land, or 600 million acres, is public land. Lands to hike, bike, climb, swim, explore or just plain relax. The focus is to educate Americans about critical environmental and natural resource issues while working to improve, enhance and restore public lands for outdoor recreation.
The Corps is one of our nation's largest providers of outdoor recreation, operating more than 2,500 recreation areas at 456 projects (mostly reservoirs) and leasing an additional 1,800 sites to state or local park and recreation authorities or private interests. The Corps hosts about 375 million visitors each year at its lakes, beaches and other recreation areas. It is estimated that 25 million Americans visit a Corps project at least once a year.
Additional information about the Corps' recreation program is available at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/rec/home.asp. Information about NPLD is at http://www.npld.com.