Recreation and Visitor Services

Center Content: 

Special Recreation Permits

Special Recreation Permits are issued to businesses, organizations, and individuals to allow the use of specific public land and related waters for commercial, competitive, and organized group use.

Special Recreation Permits allow the land stewards to coordinate and track commercial and competitive use of public lands. They also provide resource protection measures to ensure the future enjoyment of those resources by the public.

Application Process

  1. Verify that the activity is going to take place on public lands by contacting the local BLM Field Office in the area of activity
  2. The local BLM office will supply you with an application, checklist and local procedures 
  3. 180 days prior to operation, file the application and items identified on the checklist
  4. The BLM will advise applicant of disapproval or request additional information within 30 days from receipt of application
  5. Documentation required may include an operating plan, a business plan, insurance, maps, other state or local licenses
  6. Contact your local BLM office for more information

This process may take up to 180 days to complete depending upon the complexity of the applicant's operations plan. 

Not all applications submitted receive a permit. Therefore, any action taken before receiving a special recreation permit authorization, such as advertising or expending funds, is premature and at the applicant’s risk.

View additional region-specific information below as it becomes available.

Alaska

Alaska Contacts for Special Recreation Permits

Anchorage Field Office
Lead for Special Recreational Permits: Stephanie Kuhns 
907-267-1459
Email: skuhns@blm.gov

Fairbanks District Office
Lead for Special Recreational Permits: Eric Yeager
(907) 474-2357
Email: eyeager@blm.gov

Glennallen Field Office 
Lead for Special Recreational Permits: Denton Hamby 
907-822-7311
Email: dhamby@blm.gov

Idaho

Idaho Contacts for Special Recreation Permits

Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
Jared Fluckiger
208.384.3335
jfluckiger@blm.gov 

Jarbidge Field Office
Nathan Jayo
208-736-2362    
njayo@blm.gov

Idaho Falls Field Office
Monica Zimmerman (river)
208.524.7543
mzimmerman@blm.gov

Shannon Bassista (uplands)
208.524.7552
sbassista@blm.gov

Bruneau Field Office
David Draheim
208.384.3358    
ddraheim@blm.gov

Shoshone Field Office
John Kurtz
208.732.7296
jkurtz@blm.gov

Pocatello Field Office
Chuck Patterson
208.478.6362
cpatterson@blm.gov

Four Rivers Field Office
Larry Ridenhour
208.384.3334
lridenhour@blm.gov

Craters of the Moon National Monument
David Freiberg
208.732.7271
dfreiberg@blm.gov

Salmon Field Office
James Townley 
208.756.5431
jtownley@blm.gov

Owyhee Field Office
Ryan Homan
208.896.5925
rhoman@blm.gov

Burley Field Office
Dennis Thompson
208.677.6664
dthompson@blm.gov

Challis Field Office
Vacant
208.879.6212

Cottonwood Field Office
Joe O’Neill (Lower  Salmon) 
208.962.3683
jfoneill@blm.gov

Judy Culver (Clearwater)
208.962-3796
jculver@blm.gov
        
Coeur d’Alene Field Office
Mitch Owens
208.769.5015
mowens@blm.gov

Wyoming

Wyoming Contacts for Special Recreation Permits

Buffalo and Newcastle Field Offices
Rachel Woita
307-684-1116
Email: rwoita@blm.gov

Casper Field Office
Tammy Owens
307-261-7644
Email: taowens@blm.gov

Cody Field Office
Paul Rau 
307-578-5927
Email: prau@blm.gov

Kemmerer Field Office
Blaine Potts
307-828-4503
Email: bpotts@blm.gov

Lander Field Office
Michael Coyne
307-332-8420
Email: mcoyne@blm.gov

Backup: Jared Oakleaf
307-332-8407
Email: joakleaf@blm.gov

Pinedale Field Office
Joel Klosterman
307-367-5388
Email: jklosterman@blm.gov

Rawlins Field Office
Andrew Mowrey
307-328-4310
Email: amowrey@blm.gov

Rock Springs Field Office
Steve Madden
307-352-0288
Email: smadden@blm.gov

Backup: Jo Foster
307-352-0327
Email: gfoster@blm.gov

Worland Field Office
Adam Babcock
307-347-5133
Email: ababcock@blm.gov

Right Sidebar Content: 

Do You Need a Permit?

Consider these questions:

  • Will you be rafting a river that requires a permit?
  • Will you be traveling in a designated Wilderness?
  • Are you charging a fee?
  • Do you expect to make money on the event or is the fee to cover expenses?
  • Will there be a competition?
  • Will you advertise?
  • Will you mark a course?
  • Will you be expecting vehicles at your event? (How many?)
  • Will your event involve public lands?
  • Is anyone being paid to organize, lead, or participate in your activity?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may need a permit from the BLM.