Idaho Falls BLM
| Contacts: | Sarah Wheeler, 208-524-7550 |
BLM Seeks Public Input on Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Grant Applications
IDAHO FALLS, ID – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Upper Snake Field Office wants to improve the public’s experience at the St. Anthony Sand Dunes and is submitting three grant requests to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for financial assistance. The BLM needs your input on three project applications.
The first application will be submitted to the Recreation Vehicle (RV) Program, established using RV registration fees. The BLM would like to complete shelter installation at the remaining four “B” sites at the Egin Lakes Campground (Egin). Many visitors camping in those locations this summer expressed support of the idea, stating they would enjoy the shade a shelter would provide.
The remaining two applications will be submitted to the Off Road Motor Vehicle Fund (ORMV), which is supported by a portion of the total state gas tax revenues. The proposal asks the grant committee to award a 50 percent match to purchase a four-seated utility vehicle (UTV) to assist Fremont County EMS personnel in medical emergencies at the dunes.
The second ORMV application proposes to construct a permanent structure at Egin Lakes Campground that would house all BLM and Fremont County motor vehicles. Currently, there are multiple office trailers for both BLM and Fremont County, as well as a half-dozen enclosed or flatbed trailers for off-road vehicles. Under a two-phased system, the first grant would be used to purchase and construct the steel building. In the second phase of the project, the BLM would frame the inside of the building and outfit it with electricity and plumbing.
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.