Miles City Field Office
| Contacts: | Mark Jacobsen 406-233-2831 |
BLM sets Public Lands Day in Miles City Sept. 29
MILES CITY, Mont. ---The Bureau of Land Management will be hosting National Public Lands Day at the Matthews Recreation Area Sept. 29, located about nine miles east of Miles City on Valley Drive East.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome to come for the day and help the BLM clean-up and beautify this locally popular recreation spot.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for families, friends and individuals to enjoy the day working to improve this area," said Dena Lang, outdoor recreation planner for the BLM Miles City Field Office. "Come join the group and invite your friends."
Those interested in attending are asked to pre-register at the BLM offices by Sept. 26 so the BLM can plan for water and snacks in advance. Volunteer sign-in will start at 8:30 a.m. and the work project will run from 9:30 a.m. to about 2:00 p.m. Contact BLM Recreation Planner Dena Lang at 233-2800 to pre-register or for more event information.
Work will consist of picking up litter, improving some fence, cleaning fire pits among other projects to improve the site. Volunteers are encouraged to dress accordingly for the weather and bring their own sunblock, sunglasses, gloves, lunch and water bottles. The BLM will furnish water, snacks and the necessary tools.
To reach the work site, drive about nine miles northeast of Miles City on Valley Drive East. Look for banners advertising National Public Lands Day.
This year’s volunteers will be joining the largest annual coast-to-coast, single-day volunteer restoration effort for America’s public lands. National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Last year 170,000 volunteers worked in more than 2,000 locations and in every state. This year, eight federal agencies and many state and local lands participated in this annual day of caring for shared lands.
“The Bureau of Land Management is committed to connecting youth from all backgrounds with the benefits of being outdoors,” said Mike Pool, Acting Director of the BLM. “Engaging young people with the natural world helps foster new conservationists who will be good stewards to our public lands for generations to come.”
More NPLD information is also available on the web at: http://wwwpubliclandsday.org.
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.
Miles City Field Office 111 Garryowen Road Miles City, MT 59301