| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Information Officer, (970) 244-3097 |
New BLM Sign Vandalized Days After Completion (06-01-10)
Grand Junction, Colo. -- The Bureau of Land Management wants to know who vandalized a new kiosk sign just days after it was installed, at the West Creek picnic area near Gateway.
The kiosk was shot at more than 40 times the weekend of May 15, damaging the bulletin board panels and Lexan covering and causing about $1,200 in damages.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the BLM Grand Junction Field Office at (970) 244-3000.
The BLM is committed to finding those who vandalize federal property. When vandals are caught, they are required to pay fines of up to $1,000 and pay for repairs that are otherwise borne by taxpayers. So far this year, vandals have caused close to $10,000 in damage to public property in the BLM Grand Junction Field Office alone.
If you see anyone damaging facilities on public lands, BLM encourages you to write down a license plate number, a description of the vehicle, the date, time and location, and report this information to the nearest BLM Field Office. If it’s safe to do so, a photo of a vehicle involved is also helpful. Tips from the public greatly increase BLM’s ability to track down violators.
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.
2815 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81506