Idaho Falls District Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Wheeler | , 208-524-7550 |
BLM Considering Group Reservation Fee at Birch Creek Campground
IDAHO FALLS, ID – In response to public input, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has revised theBirch Creek Campground Business Plan to better detail the proposed $35.00 per night reservation fee.
The BLM is proposing to implement a reservation system for camping in group sites at Birch Creek Campground and is requesting public input. Without a fee system, the BLM is unable ensure groups exclusive use to the large group campsites. “I receive numerous requests each year to reserve group sites at Birch Creek Campground,” said Shannon Bassista Upper Snake Field Office outdoor recreation planner. “Unfortunately, we have no legal way to reserve these sites, and that creates a problem for large groups of people, such as family reunions, who would like to camp together.”
The Upper Snake Field Office is looking at charging a fee of $35.00 per night reservation for large groups to reserve one of the few group sites. This fee would guarantee exclusive camping access at the reserved group site. The group site would only be reserved through the Eastern Idaho Visitor Information Center (EIVIC) collections officer. Visitors would pay when they make their reservation at the EIVIC. Reservations would be required at least 24 hours in advance.
Only those visitors interested in reserving a large group site would be impacted. There will still be no fee to camp at Birch Creek. Those who are willing to gamble on a group site or are just interested in camping at one of the other sites would not be impacted. Additionally, no fees will be charged for camping in identified group sites when they are not occupied by paying visitors. If you have additional questions or comments, please contact Shannon Bassista at 208-524-7500 or email BLM_ID_IF_BirchCrCGFee@blm.gov.
For more information, please review the business plan and federal register notice.
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.