U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Billings Field Office
Billings Field Office
| Contacts: | Mary Apple 406-896-5258 |
BLM to Conduct Prescribed Burn Near Laurel
Smoke will be visible near Laurel on Wednesday, August 10, if the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Billings Field Office is able to conduct a prescribed burn at the Sundance Lodge Recreation Area.
The 10-acre project is designed remove invasive cheatgrass and will facilitate the return of native grasses to the area. The burn will only be conducted if weather conditions, such as wind and relative humidity, are within the prescription window.
For more information about this prescribed fire project, please call Billings Interagency Dispatch Center at (406-896-2900).
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.
Billings Field Office 5001 Southgate Drive Billings, MT 59101