| Contacts: | Shannon Borders, 970-240-5399 |
BLM opens northern portions of the Hartman Rocks Recreational Area (03-26-12)
GUNNISON, Colo. – Today, the Bureau of Land Management opened roads and trails north of the power line within the Hartman Rocks Recreational Area for public travel. All roads and trails south of the power line will remain closed for Gunnison Sage-grouse conservation until Tuesday, May 15.
“In additional to the warm, windy weather, the local motorized-users group cleared snow from the trails on the north facing slopes to help speed up the opening,” said Kristi Murphy, BLM outdoor recreation planner. “There are a few wet spots along trails and roads and we ask the public to tread lightly to prevent resource damage.”
The BLM encourages the public to enjoy they Hartman Rocks Recreational Area and to maintain the area by staying on designated routes, properly disposing of trash and respecting the multiple-use designations.
For the most up-to-date information on the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area, go to the newly launched Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BLMHartmanRocks. The Gunnison Field Office has a goal to reach 500 “likes” on this page before any other field office in the state.
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.
650 S 11th Street Gunnison, CO 81230