Butte Field Office
| Contacts: | David Abrams 406-533-7660 |
BLM to Close Big Hole Campgrounds During Mountain Pine Beetle Treatment
The Bureau of Land Management will temporarily close three campgrounds in the Big Hole River area as workers spray trees with the pesticide carbaryl to help prevent further mountain pine beetle infestations and reduce conifer mortality.
Dickie Bridge, East Bank and Bryant Creek campgrounds will be closed temporarily for 48 hours, and closures may start as early as June 27 and finish no later than July 8. The BLM plans to close all three campgrounds during carbaryl application for 48 hours during and after application. All scheduled carbaryl spraying operations are weather-dependent. Signs will be placed at the sites to notify the public of the project and temporary area closures. About 500 lodgepole pine trees will be sprayed with carbaryl from high-pressure spray equipment which soaks tree trunks.
Carbaryl, when applied correctly, lasts for two years and is nearly 99 percent effective at protecting trees from mountain pine beetles. Carbaryl is registered with the EPA for mountain pine beetle control. Contractors spraying lodgepole pine will follow strict precautions to ensure public safety. The licensed workers will not apply the carbaryl within 100 feet of private homes and buildings; occupied or high-value habitat for sensitive species; or streams, rivers or wetlands. Spraying will only be done when winds do not exceed 5 miles per hour in order to help reduce drift of the spray.
For more information on the project, call Michael O’Brien at the BLM’s Butte Field Office at (406) 533-7600.
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