Billings Field Office
| Contacts: | Jeff Kitchens 406-896-5235 |
BLM to Remove Noxious Plant at Pompeys Pillar National Monument
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will remove noxious Russian olive trees from riparian areas along the Yellowstone River at the Pompeys Pillar National Monument, located east of Billings. Treatments are scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, and could last up to two weeks.
Hunters and other recreationists planning to use the treatment areas during this time period are advised that crews will be using chainsaws and spraying herbicides.
“Russian olive, like many other noxious and invasive weeds, is a detriment to native plants and local ecosystems,” says Jeff Kitchens, Pompeys Pillar National Monument Manager.
Yellowstone County will assist the BLM with the spray treatments and Gallatin National Forest will contribute some of the saw work for the project.
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