Idaho Falls BLM
| Contacts: | Sarah Wheeler (208) 524-7550 |
Conant Boat Access Under Construction
IDAHO FALLS, ID – As winter draws near, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Upper Snake Field Office (USFO) is at work completing several recreation projects throughout the area. For the past few weeks, fishermen might have noticed increased construction at the popular Conant Boat Access. The construction crew is working diligently to complete an accessible trail to the ramp as well as remove the gravel bar piling up at the edge of the boat ramp.
“We are trying to keep one lane open for use,” said Monica Zimmerman, recreation planner for the USFO. “However, the gravel we are removing is on the ramp, so we urge the public to check the ramp before they unload their boats.”
In addition to the work at Conant, the BLM and Idaho Department of Fish and Game completed boat ramp repairs to the Menan Boat Access below the confluence of the South Fork and Henrys Fork of the Snake River. Over the next few weeks, the BLM will finish the installation of a vault toilet at the Red Road Boat Access on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River.
The BLM would like to remind the public that Big Southern Butte Road and Egin Lakes Campground are closed for the season. “Public safety is always our first priority,” said Upper Snake Recreation Planner Shannon Bassista. “The road to Big Southern Butte is extremely hazardous in the winter because ice and snow accumulate on its steep grade.” BLM officials expect the road to be closed until late Spring 2013, depending on snow levels and road conditions.
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.