| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Information Officer, (970) 244-3097 |
Sheep Creek Road Closed for Upgrades
Grand Junction, CO -- The Bureau of Land Management has closed Sheep Creek Road near Gateway this week for repairs and upgrades.
Workers will be repairing water runoff damage along sections of the road. They will also be improving drainage structures to avoid runoff damage in the future. Heavy equipment will be on the road, making it impassable at times, and workers will be blasting in the area as part of the project.
Sheep Creek is an unpaved road off of 4.2 Road that provides access to the Granite Creek area. It is primitive and requires a four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle. It is popular with off-highway vehicle enthusiasts.
“This project will maintain the character of the road, while making it more sustainable,” said Chris Ham, supervisory recreation planner with the BLM Grand Junction Field Office.
The project is being funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Several construction and upgrade projects will be completed this spring and fall throughout the Grand Junction Field Office. Information on projects and related closures will be posted on the GJFO website at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html.
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