Montana/Dakotas State Office
| Contacts: | Ann Boucher, 406-896-5299 |
BLM Marks National Public Lands Day 2012
The Bureau of Land Management is waiving day-use fees and sponsoring several volunteer work projects on September 29 as part of National Public Lands Day.
National Public Lands Day is the largest nationwide volunteer workday for America’s public lands. As a partnership among land agencies, the business community and volunteers, NPLD benefits our nation’s parks, forests, refuges, lakeshores, grasslands and historic sites while encouraging the general public to become involved in public lands management. Land managers prepare projects that result in real and needed improvements, and volunteers learn, first hand, the issues that affect recreation areas. This year, more than 170,000 volunteers are expected to turn out at 2,100 sites nationwide.
“This is a fabulous opportunity to come out and enjoy your public lands,” said State Director Jamie E. Connell. “These sites belong to everyone. We encourage you to take advantage of all they have to offer and invite your help in taking care of them.”
The BLM in Montana has one NPLD event scheduled for September 26, and eight more on September 29. For more information about a specific project, or to volunteer, please contact the site coordinator.
- Lowry Bridge Recreation Area near Simms, Mont., on Sept. 26; painting, sign repair, fence repair, weed removal, fire pit replacement, gravel moving and general cleanup. Contact: Kelly McGill, 406-538-1905.
- Decision Point Recreation Area near Loma, Mont., on Sept. 29; flood damage repair and general cleanup. Contacts: Mark Schaefer or Brian Woolf, 406-622-4015.
- Wood Bottom Recreation Area near Loma, Mont., on Sept. 29; flood damage repair and general cleanup. Contacts: Mark Schaefer or Brian Woolf, 406-622-4015.
- James Kipp Recreation Area at Highway 191 and Fred Robinson Bridge on Sept. 29; flood damage repair and general cleanup. Contacts: Mark Schaefer or Brian Woolf, 406-622-4015.
- Blackfoot Valley near Ovando, Mont., on Sept. 29; barbed wire fence removal. Contact: Jim Sparks, 406-329-3827.
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument near Billings, Mont., on Sept. 29; weed pulling; native trees and shrub planting; trail construction; barbed wire removal; boardwalk repair; and parking area development. Contact: Jeff Kitchens, 406-896-5281. Click here for more information on Public Lands Day at the Pompeys Pillars National Monument.
- Matthews Recreation Area near Miles City, Mont., on Sept. 29; general cleanup and repairs. Contact: Dena Lang, 406-233-2828.
- Sundance Lodge Recreation Area near Laurel, Mont., on Sep. 29; trail construction and maintenance. Contact: Tim Finger, 406-896-5248.
- Meeteetsee Spires near Bridger, Mont., on Sept. 29; gate construction and parking area improvement. Contact: Tim Finger, 406-896-5248.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Montana/Dakotas State Office 5001 Southgate Drive Billings, MT 59101