| Contacts: | Christopher B Joyner, BLM Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 210-2126 |
BLM to Implement Fee - Seeks Camp Host (08-02-12)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to begin charging camping fees at the North Fruita Desert Campground starting Labor Day Weekend.
The $10 per night fee will be collected and applied directly toward improving camping facilities at the 40 acre camping area. The BLM is now seeking volunteers for the role of camp host.
The BLM is initiating a camping fee at the campground after extensive planning and public comment. There will be a self-pay fee station located at the campground entrance and a camp host during peak weekends and holidays. Camping is on a first-come, first-served basis and campsites cannot be reserved in advance. Dispersed camping is allowed outside of the mountain bike trail system but requires the use of a portable toilet system and portable fire pan.
Fees will be collected starting September 1. The BLM is also currently accepting volunteer applications for the campground host position. A complete position description is available on the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo/Volunteer.html#Opportunities.
The campground is located approximately 12 miles north of Fruita along 18 Road inside the North Fruita Desert Special Recreation Management Area. The campground includes 35 campsites all with fire rings and picnic tables. While vault toilets are located within walking distance of each campsite, no water, electricity, shade shelters or garbage services are available.
The SRMA includes 72 thousand acres with 250 miles of designated recreation routes. The SRMA includes motorized, mechanized, quiet use and a designated open off-highway vehicle area.
For more information, contact Chris Pipkin, BLM outdoor recreation planner at (970) 244-3024.
Note to media: Reference map of campground and bicycle emphasis area is attached.
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