For Immediate Release: August 1, 2003
Contact: Vaughn Whatley 303-239-376
Barb Perkins 303-239-3668
Gary Kozel 202- 298-1225

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY

On Saturday, September 20, Colorado BLM and thousands of Americans will volunteer to join in the 10th annual National Public Lands Day, the country’s largest volunteer, hands-on effort of its kind.

Last year, nearly 70,000 volunteers and their community partners contributed $8 million in improvements to America’s public places on National Public Lands Day. They built and refurbished 78 miles of trails, planted 11,000 trees and plants, installed 200 benches, 70 picnic tables, installed and painted 400 bird and bat houses, built 4 miles of new fencing, and removed 700 tons of trash.

For more information, including a list all of National Public Lands Day sites, activities, contacts and downloadable photos, go to www.npld.com/ or call 800-VOL-TEER (800-865-8337).

Colorado events include trail building and maintenance, trash clean-up, fence building, and campground maintenance. Colorado has events scheduled for three Saturdays in September. The following are events, dates, and contact numbers:

  Saturday September 13, 2003

Animas City Mountain Trail Work Day

Working with the San Juan Mountain Association and volunteers from the City of Durango, this event will include: trail maintenance, erosion control, trash clean up, and installation of new signs.  For information, contact the Columbine Field Office in Durango at 970-247-4874.

Saturday September 20, 2003

Castle Valley Trails

Castle Valley Ranch Homeowners Association and the town of New Castle will partner with the Glenwood Springs BLM office to construct approximately 1.5 miles of non-motorized trail adjacent to the housing development on BLM land.  The local community formed and organized a volunteer group to provide trail opportunities to the 2,300 residents of New Castle and the public.  For information, contact the Glenwood Springs Field Office at 970-947-2800.

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

In partnership with the San Juan Mountain Association, volunteers and site stewards will improve visitor facilities at Sand Canyon Pueblo. The project will construct water bars to prevent trail erosion, reclaim user-made trails, install a visitor information board and picnic table, remove old signs and install new ones to more clearly identify trails, and backfill a previously excavated area of Sand Canyon Pueblo. For information contact the Anasazi Heritage Center at 970.882.5600.

        Limekiln Area – Old Spanish Trail Wagon Tracks/Landform Sculpture

To preserve these historically significant tracks, this project will construct a buck and pole fence around the perimeter.  Volunteers will also clean up the area and possibly fence off access to the actual landform sculptures.  For information, contact the Detached Front Range Center in Monte Vista at 719-852-5941.

Phantom Canyon ATV Clean-Up,

Phantom Canyon is part of the Gold Belt Tour National Scenic Byway. Volunteers will make minor repairs in the area, clean-up trash, repair vandalism/graffiti and restore the area to its natural scenic beauty.  The local Quad Duster, JE Quad ATV groups volunteer, and  BLM, will help clean up this popular recreation area.  For information, contact the Royal Gorge Field Office in Canon City at 719-236-8500.

  Saturday September 27, 2003

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

 Volunteers work will include a variety of projects that will ultimately rehabilitate the archeological site, address resource impacts from trail use, and provide information to visitors upon arrival at the trailhead.   For information contact the Anasazi Heritage Center at 970 882-4811.

11th Annual Shelf Road NPLD Celebration

 This event is held each year to perform trail and campground maintenance for the Shelf Road Recreation Area within the Gold Belt Tour National Scenic Byway. The event focuses on using repeat visitors and user groups to encourage a sense of pride and ownership in the area.  For information contact the Royal Gorge Field Office in Canon City at 719-269-8500.

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