| Contacts: | Brian White | , 208-769-5031 |
BLM Releases Work Schedules at Area Recreation Sites: Temporary Restrictions in Effect for Recovery Act-Funded Maintenance and Construction Work
Coeur d’Alene, ID – The Bureau of Land Management has announced work schedules for maintenance and construction work at three area recreation sites. Allocations to the BLM under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are funding the work.
- Blue Creek Bay – The first phase of construction work at this day-use access site on the northeastern shoreline of Lake Coeur d’Alene will begin in May and continue intermittently through November. Periodic restrictions will be in required at the log landing area to ensure public safety and to avoid interruptions to construction work. Construction and installation of public fishing and swimming docks, concrete walks and picnic sites, a vault toilet, informational kiosk, graveled parking areas, and trash receptacles, along with shoreline stabilization and revegetation are included in the construction contract.
- Killarney Lake Boat Launch, Picnic Site and Popcorn Island – Construction projects will resume on May 3rd at these three sites located east of Coeur d’Alene, near Rose Lake. The old docks at the Killarney Lake Boat Launch have been removed to allow for the construction of the new facilities. The dock replacement project is expected to be completed before Memorial Day weekend as new docks, pilings and gangways are installed. Later this fall, a new slab-type concrete boat ramp will be poured to replace the decaying concrete plank-type ramp currently in place. At the Popcorn Island and Killarney Lake Picnic Sites, new docks and floating restroom facilities will be installed in June and July, to meet all accessibility standards and sanitation codes. Work will be scheduled to minimize access restrictions, particularly on weekends and holidays.
- Huckleberry Campground on the St. Joe River – Three vault toilets will be installed in June, closing portions of the site for up to three weeks. The new facilities will meet the latest accessibility standards and use solar energy for night-lighting. Power to some sites will be affected for a few days during construction and for safety purposes. The site will be open in time for the July 4th holiday.
Restrictions for public and worker safety will be posted at each site. For additional information about these and other recreation sites in the Coeur d’Alene area, please visit http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/coeur_d_alene/recreation_sites_.html
or call Brian White, BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner, at 208-769-5031.
The ARRA funding creates jobs for private contractors and will allow an increasing number of visitors to use and enjoy the facilities at these sites. Information about Recovery Act projects on public lands in Idaho is online at http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/ARRA_idaho.html.
The BLM has allocated over $1 million in ARRA funding to projects at recreation sites in the Coeur d’Alene District. ARRA funds are part of a stimulus package that is an important component of the President Barack Obama's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century.
Under the ARRA, the Department of the Interior is making investments in conserving America's timeless treasures – stunning natural landscapes, monuments to liberty, icons of culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.
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.