| Contacts: | Christopher B Joyner, BLM Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 210-2126 |
BLM Seasonal road closures in effect December 1 (11-28-12)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The BLM Grand Junction Field Office is implementing seasonal road wildlife closures on identified roads beginning Dec. 1 to reduce stress on wintering wildlife.
Specific BLM roads in the Grand Junction Field Office are closed to motorized use from Dec. 1 through May 1 each year to protect critical big-game winter range and other sensitive areas as well as to prevent road damage during poor driving conditions.
“Limiting vehicle access reduces disturbance and stress to wintering wildlife ”, said Heidi Plank a wildlife biologist with the BLM.
According to Plank, wintering wildlife have limited fat reserves that must sustain them through long winter months of limited food. Any disturbance during that time can have dramatic effects on their ability to survive the winter.
The roads impacted by this closure include: Blue Mesa, Beehive, Chalk Mountain, Grand Mesa Slopes at Horse Mountain, Sink Creek, Mesa Creek and the Lands End road. Also, 16 road will be closed at Garvey, Post and Lapham Canyons.
The Coal Canyon road in the Little Book Cliffs Wild horse Area will be closed to motorized use Dec. 1 through May 31. Rapid Creek is open only during big game season for hunter access and remains closed the rest of the year.
Maps of closure areas can be found online at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html
While gates will be locked on some roads, other areas will be closed through signing. All of the areas continue to be open to non-motorized recreation such as hiking and horseback riding. Many gated roads are monitored by law enforcement through multiple means. Violators to closures will be prosecuted.
For more information, call the BLM information desk 970 244-3000.
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