Arizona Strip District Office
| Contacts: | Rachel Tueller, Public Affairs Officer, | |||
| Phone: 435-688-3303 or E-mail: rtueller@blm.gov | ||||
Families and Youth Encouraged to Experience, Engage, Explore at Free Annual Jr. Ranger Family Event Friday September 28 at Tonaquint Nature Center
St. George, Utah—Youth and their families are invited to learn more about the great outdoors on Friday, September 28, 2012 from 5pm to 7pm at the Free Annual Junior Ranger Event at Tonaquint Nature Center,1851 South Dixie Drive in St. George, Utah. BLM Arizona Strip District, including the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument, along with partnering agencies; Dixie Arizona Strip Interpretive Association; Dixie National Forest; Zion National Park; Red Cliffs Desert Reserve; Sand Hollow, Gunlock, and Snow Canyon State Parks; the City of Saint George; the Washington County Water Conservancy District; Pipe Springs National Monument, and the Utah State University Extension Office will host a variety of fun and educational booths and activities themed on the outdoors.
The event offers youth and their families, opportunities to gain a greater appreciation for their public lands by engaging in an educational scavenger hunt that includes dozens of recreational and learning activities. Booth activities include making wind socks and reading maps, viewing some native fish of the Virgin River, learning about wildflowers and wildlife of the desert, learning about the life cycle of water, “Leave No Trace” ethics, and concepts of UV protection, rocket launching and building structures, and learning fun facts about bird beaks.
The Arizona Strip District will host BLM’s Official Mascot Seymour Antelope who will be mugging for photo opportunities with families. Dixie National Forest staff will accompany Smokey Bear on a wild land fire engine to remind children to put fires dead out and to never play with fire. Local stores, Lin’s Market and Costco, in partnership with the City of St. George, will be giving away free hot dogs to attendees. To register go to the Sand Hollow Aquatics Center at 1144 N. Lava Flow Drive or at the St. George Recreation Center at 400 East 285 South or by calling 627-4560. On Friday, please plan to register at the event.
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.