| Contacts: | Mike Blakeman, (719) 852-6212 |
Forest Service and BLM seek volunteers (05-08-12)
MONTE VISTA – The San Luis Valley Field Office and the Rio Grande National Forest are seeking volunteers to assist with a wide variety of projects this year.
Several campground hosts are needed for national forest and BLM campgrounds. Campground hosts clean campsites and bathrooms, and provide information to campers. Hosts receive free camping in beautiful locations in exchange for their assistance. It’s a great way to meet people from all over the country and make new friends.
Other volunteer opportunities include reconstructing a fence along the Conejos River to protect wildlife habitat; monitoring peregrine falcon nesting sites; conducting bird surveys along Carnero Creek; maintaining the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in the Weminuche Wilderness; conducting noxious weed surveys; and taking photographs from sites where historical photographs were previously taken.
To learn more about these and other volunteer opportunities on your public lands, visit the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado website at www.voc.org/sanluisvalley, or contact SLV Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, Brink Messick at 719-655-6133, or by email at brink@voc.org.
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.
1803 West Highway 160 Monte Vista, CO 81144