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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Billings Field Office
 
Release Date: 07/28/11
Contacts: Mel Lloyd 406-896-5260    

Hours of Operation to Change at Pompeys Pillar


Pompeys Pillar National Monument is changing its hours of operation effective July 31, 2011. The Monument, which is currently open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., will now be open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The visitor center will be open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Monument will still be open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day and walk-ins will still be allowed from dawn to dusk. Daily fees of $7 per vehicle will remain the same.

“We are changing the hours of operation in an effort to improve safety for both the public and employees and increase business efficiencies,” Jeff Kitchens, Pompeys Pillar National Monument Manager, said. “This move will also allow the Monument to better serve the public by maintaining a seasonal workforce for a longer period of time.”  

Pompeys Pillar National Monument, managed within the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, contains the signature of Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Clark’s inscription, carved in sandstone over 200 years ago, is the expedition’s only remaining physical evidence of its actual route. An interpretive center at the site recounts Clark’s journey through the Yellowstone Valley in 1806. Pompeys Pillar is located 25 miles east of Billings off Interstate 94. During the summer season, the BLM hosts interpretive programs that highlight the cultural and natural history of the Monument. More information on the national monument can be found at http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/billings_field_office/pompeyspillar.html, or by contacting Jeff Kitchens at (406) 896-5235.

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.
--BLM--

Billings Field Office   5001 Southgate Drive      Billings, MT 59101  

Last updated: 06-28-2012