For Immediate Release: September 6, 2007
Contact: Melodie Lloyd  BLM 970-244-3097
Denise Adamic BLM 303-239-3671 

BLM Hosts National Public Lands Day Event at the Trail Through Time

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – This National Public Lands Day you can join the Bureau of Land Management, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, and Williams Production in restoring the Trail Through Time September 15 and 16 - volunteers are needed!

The Grand Junction BLM office will celebrate this year’s festivities by preserving the Trail Through Time in Rabbit Valley where fossilized dinosaur bones and prehistoric plants can be found.  This event is sure to be memorable for rock hounds, dinosaur fans, and the whole family.

“National Public Lands Day helps educate Americans about environmental and natural resource issues,” said Matt McGrath, outdoor recreation planner for McInnis Canyons.  “National Public Lands Day is also a great way to build relationships between communities, natural resource managers and the people who enjoy these areas.”

National Public Lands Day is the largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. In 2006, over 100,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, planted trees and plants, and removed trash and invasive plants from public lands across the country.  Estimates suggest that each 100,000 volunteers who participate in NPLD represent an additional $1.8 million worth of labor for American lands. 

Volunteers who participate in an NPLD earn a free one-day pass redeemable at public land sites managed by the BLM, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“If you plan to volunteer, wear durable work clothes, gloves and a hat, and bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen,” said McGrath.  “We’re in for a fun day of fulfilling work!”

Visit voutdoors.org and enter the keyword “McInnis” to get more information about the Trail Through Time project and to register.  Contact Matt McGrath at (970) 244-3029 for additional information.

-BLM-