South Dakota Field Office
| Contacts: | Mark Jacobsen 406-232-2831 |
Public Lands Day Set for Fort Meade Sept. 24
The Bureau of Land Management will be hosting National Public Lands Day at the Fort Meade Recreation Area two miles east of Sturgis on Sept. 24.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome to come for the day and help the BLM install a wildlife water guzzler at the Recreation Area. Work will consist of preparing the site, installing the guzzler and trough, rehabilitating and re-seeding the area and installing fence. In doing so, volunteers will be joining the largest annual coast-to-coast, single-day volunteer restoration effort for America’s public lands.
To reach the work site, take Exit 34 off Interstate 90 (Black Hills National Cemetery) and head north on the BLM road (Backcountry Byway) approximately two miles, just past the cavalry jumps. A sign and flagging will show where to turn. Volunteer sign-in will start at 8:30 a.m. and the work project will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony. A free picnic lunch will be provided for the volunteers.
During the 2010 National Public Lands Day, 170,000 volunteers worked at over 2,080 sites in every state, the District of Columbia and in many U.S. territories.
Last year, NPLD volunteers:
- Removed an estimated 450 tons of trash
- Collected an estimated 20,000 pounds of invasive plants
- Built and maintained an estimated 1,320 miles of trails
- Planted an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants
- Contributed an estimated $15 million to improve public lands across the country
By educating volunteers at sites across the country, National Public Lands Day keeps the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the "tree army" that worked from 1933-1942 to preserve and protect America's natural heritage.
For more information, contact Ryan Larson at (605) 892-7033. NPLD information is also available on the web at: http://wwwpubliclandsday.org.
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.
South Dakota Field Office 310 Roundup Street Belle Fourche, SD 57717