| Contacts: | Deanna Masterson, 303-239-3671 | |||
| Kristi Murphy, 970-641-0471 |
BLM Seeking Volunteers for National Public Lands Day Event at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area (09-13-10)
Gunnison, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office is looking for volunteers to help build up to four miles of trail and collect native seed for a National Public Lands Day project from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010, at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area.
“Volunteers and good partnerships are the only way we will finish the west side of the Aberdeen Loop Trail,” said BLM Recreation Planner Kristi Murphy.
The east side of the Aberdeen Loop Trail was completed mostly by youth working with Western Colorado Conservation Corps, and is now open for single-track motorized and non-motorized use.
“It’s been a lot of work, but well worth the effort,” said BLM Park Ranger Jim Lovelace. “The people who have used the new trail have given us positive feedback, which makes this project even more rewarding.”
The Aberdeen Loop Trail was relocated to reduce human impacts to Gunnison sage grouse, reduce safety concerns on the existing Aberdeen Loop Trail and improve skiff milk vetch habitat along the existing trail.
Volunteers can meet at McCabes Lane Parking Area. Take Hwy 50 three miles west of Gunnison, turn south on County Rd 32 and proceed approximately 1.5 miles to the parking area. Please bring work gloves, water and sturdy work boots.
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.
216 North Colorado Gunnison, CO 81230