U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Coeur d'Alene BLM
Coeur d'Alene BLM
| Contacts: | Kurt Pindel, 208-769-5015 |
Limited Services Available at BLM Recreation Sites
Coeur d’Alene, ID – Planning an afternoon hike to take advantage of great fall weather? Maybe some late season camping? If so, please be aware of seasonal closures underway at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recreation sites throughout northern Idaho.
Recreation crews are currently preparing area BLM recreation areas for the winter season, and beginning this week water and most electrical services will be turned off at the following BLM recreation areas: Beauty Bay day-use area; Mineral Ridge Scenic Area and National Historic Trail; and Huckleberry Campground along the St. Joe River.
Beginning November 1, the gate will be closed at the Beauty Bay day-use area until spring. Additionally, electrical services for the Huckleberry campground will be curtailed and limited to the west end of the campground for the winter. Blackwell Island Boat Launch is also closed for the season.
The Mineral Ridge trail remains open for public use throughout the year; however, like other BLM sites, including Blue Creek Bay day-use area, the sites are not maintained during the winter months.
Recreation areas maintained by BLM’s Coeur d’Alene District typically reopen in April, although opening dates for facilities with boat launches vary depending upon lake levels in the spring.
For additional information, please contact Kurt Pindel, Outdoor Recreation Planner at (208) 769-5015.
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.