For Immediate Release: August 2, 2007
Contact: Mel Lloyd (970) 244-3097

Local volunteers needed for trail restoration project
Plan to lend a hand for America’s lands

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – On September 15-16, 2007, you can join in what has become the largest annual coast-to-coast volunteer restoration effort for America’s public lands—the 14th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD).  The event gives everyone a chance to give back to the very lands they use to hike, bike, climb, explore, picnic or relax.  Join Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC), Williams Production and the Bureau of Land Management in restoring a portion of an interpretive dinosaur trail, the Trail Through Time.  This trail is located in a nationally recognized archeological site in Rabbit Valley of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (NCA). 

“One in three acres of land in the U.S.—600 million acres in all—belong to the American people,” said Matt McGrath, outdoor recreation planner for BLM’s McInnis Canyons NCA.  “Working to improve the Trail Through Time is a great way to spend the day with the family and do something good for the land that belongs to you.”

For the fourth year in a row, volunteers who participate in an NPLD event will earn a one-day pass good for free entry into 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.

The goal for 2007 is to increase from last year’s 100,000 volunteers by at least an additional 10,000 participants.  Every 100,000 volunteers who participate in National Public Lands Day represent an additional $1.8 million worth of labor for American lands.  The estimated dollar value of volunteer time is $18.77 per hour for 2006, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Independent Sector.

Visit voutdoors.org and enter the keyword “McInnis” to get more information about the project and to register.  For those planning to volunteer, wear durable work clothes, gloves and a hat, and bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen.  Contact Matt McGrath at (970) 244-3029 for additional information. 

-BLM-