Lewistown Field Office
| Contacts: | Craig Flentie | |||
| (406) 538-1943 |
Changes In BLM Leafy Spurge Flea Beetle Public Collection Opportunities
“However, the BLM will organize several smaller collection efforts for those interested in collecting flea beetles and introducing them to other leafy spurge infestations. We’ll make arrangements to take four or five people out a day; however the collection sites we visit will be smaller sites, accessed only by two-track trails,” offered Mike Barrick, a BLM range technician in Lewistown.
Those interested in collecting flea beetles from these smaller sites should contact Barrick at (406) 538-1920 to make arrangements for a suitable meeting day, place, time and potential vehicle type to access sites.
Collection days will last into the late afternoon, so all participants should bring a lunch, drinking water, sunscreen and appropriate clothing for the day. All the beetles collected will be divided equally among the participants.
Flea beetles have proven to be effective in reducing the size of leafy spurge infestations. They are slow to establish and typically require several years to build a population large enough to start destroying the root systems of leafy spurge plants. Flea beetles in conjunction with chemicals provide a person’s best option for reducing leafy spurge infestations.
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.
Lewistown Field Office 920 NE Main Lewistown, Montana 59457