U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Coeur d'Alene BLM
Coeur d'Alene BLM
| Contacts: | Joe O'Neill (208) 962-3683 |
Discover Pass Parking Permits Now Required at Heller Bar
Planning to end your trip along the Lower Salmon River at Heller Bar this summer? If so, please be aware of the new requirements by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission for all vehicles using state recreation lands or water access sites to display a Discover Parking Pass. Most BLM permitted outfitters and Lower Salmon river users may not realize that the popular river access point at Heller Bar, located approximately 23 miles south of Asotin, is actually owned by the State of Washington although it is cooperatively managed by several agencies including the Bureau of Land Management.
Beginning July 1, the State of Washington began requiring the Discover Pass for visitors to State recreation sites. Passes are not available for purchase at BLM offices however there are several ways to obtain the passes through the Discover Pass website: http://discoverpass.wa.gov. For further information on the pass, please call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at (866) 320-9933
For specific boating regulations along the Lower Salmon, please visit the BLM’s website, http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/recreation/what_do_you_want_to/rivers/lower_salmon_river.html or contact Outdoor Recreation Planner, Joe O’Neill in the BLM’s Cottonwood Field Office at (208) 962-3683.
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.