| Contacts: | Blake Treadway, BLM, 970-240-5321 | |||
| Deanna Masterson, BLM, 303-239-3671 |
BLM Colorado National Public Lands Day Extreme Rock Crawling Trails Project
MONTROSE, Colo. – Volunteers from the Western Slope Four Wheelers recently contributed 84 hours of labor for the BLM Colorado Montrose OHV Trail Crew’s National Public Lands Day Extreme Rock Crawling Trails Project.
Four volunteers worked on Boulder Canyon Trail, placing six winch anchors to discourage future use of trees for winching. The other eight volunteers accompanied the BLM's OHV Trail Crew to the Die Tryin, Cactus, and Topless extreme rock crawling trails. The crew loaded and delivered six steel signs that totaled 2500lbs.
“The amount of work that was accomplished in one day was incredible,” said Blake Treadway, BLM Montrose Outdoor Recreation Planner. "It would have taken the BLM’s small OHV Crew weeks."
The new signs will identify the trails, rules, and required equipment for rock crawlers visiting the area. The next step, which is currently under way, is painting and applying decals on the signs.
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.