Montana State Office
| Contacts: | Mary Apple 406-896-5258 |
BLM Designates 2010 Fee-Free Days
Recreation-related fees will be waived June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day) on many public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Some of these lands are within the National Landscape Conservation System, which was established ten years ago.
Entrance fees at Pompeys Pillar National Monument east of Billings, the Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center in Fort Benton, and Garnet Ghost Town near Missoula will be waived on these days. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, and group day use, will remain in effect.
“In celebration of not only the tenth birthday of the BLM’s national conservation lands but also America’s Great Outdoors, we invite visitors to take the path less traveled and discover these treasured public lands during the fee-free days,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “For decades, millions of Americans have sought to connect with the outdoors by exploring the National System of Public Lands, and the BLM is proud to be a part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.”
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.
Montana State Office 5001 Southgate Drive Billings, MT 59101