Butte Field Office
| Contacts: | David Abrams 406-533-7617 |
Fuels Project In Big Hole Area Leads To Intermittent Closures
Some roads and ATV trails on Bureau of Land Management property near the Big Hole River may see temporary closures as a public safety measure during a fuels reduction project in the area.
The BLM has started a fuels reduction and habitat restoration project on the south side of the Big Hole River between Dewey and Wise River. The project includes the removal of small trees and the resulting debris can often fly up to 300 feet.
To protect the public, the BLM will temporarily close some roads and trails within and adjacent to those areas where trees are being removed. Signs will be posted along those closed routes. The closures could be in effect between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day, including weekends, but closures on individual roads are not expected to last more than one to three days each. The fuels reduction project is scheduled to be completed in mid-October.
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.
Butte Field Office 106 N. Parkmont Butte, MT 59702