Cottonwood Field Office
| Contacts: | Suzanne Endsley | , 208-769-5004 |
BLM Closes a Portion of the Lower Salmon River Due to Wildfire
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued an emergency closure, effective immediately, on a twelve-mile segment of the Lower Salmon River due to wildfire suppression operations for the Sheep Fire. The wildfire began on the afternoon of September 7 near BLM’s popular New Lucile Recreation Site and grew rapidly over the weekend to almost 16,000 acres.
The emergency closure affects the section of the Lower Salmon River from the New Lucile Recreation site downriver to the Idaho Fish and Game managed Twin Bridges landing. The closure is necessary for public safety to allow aircraft traffic associated with fire suppression activities. Helicopters will be working along this stretch of the river dipping water at numerous locations. These helicopter operations can happen quickly and with little warning to recreationists, thus necessitating a full closure of this section of the river. A map of the affected river segment is available at: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/recreation/what_do_you_want_to/rivers/lower_salmon_river/BoatGuide_Vinegar.html
Motorists are also urged to use caution, resist stopping at pull-outs and drive slowly along Highway 95 near Lucille, Idaho. Please do not stop along the highway to view fire operations.
The BLM’s Lucile Recreation site is a popular take-out site for rafters, boaters and those floating the Lower Salmon from Riggins, Idaho.
For more information, please contact Public Affairs Specialist Suzanne Endsley at (208) 769-5004.
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.