Butte Field Office
| Contacts: | David Abrams | |||
| Public Affairs Specialist | ||||
| dabrams@blm.gov | ||||
| (406) 490-0367 |
BLM Recreation Sites On Holter, Hauser Lakes Open May 12
BUTTE (May 1, 2012) – All Bureau of Land Management recreation sites near Helena officially open on May 12. At that time, the BLM will begin providing services and collecting fees, which remain unchanged from last year.
In the Holter Lake area, BLM sites include Holter Lake, Log Gulch, Departure Point and Beartooth Landing on the lake and Holter Dam located immediately below the lake on the Missouri River. Beartooth Landing is a boat-in only site located upriver across from Ming Bar. This site provides spectacular views of the east side of the Sleeping Giant’s “face.”
Amenities at the larger campgrounds include RV and tent camping spots, boat docks, fish-cleaning stations, shoreline fishing access, toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, potable water, garbage dumpsters, picnic shelters and swimming areas. Log Gulch and Holter Lake also have large shelters available for group reservations.
BLM sites at Hauser Lake include Clark’s Bay, Two Camps Vista, Devil’s Elbow, White Sandy and Spokane Bay, which is only accessible by boat or by foot from the Spokane Bay Trailhead located off Kier Lane Road. Amenities at the larger campgrounds include RV camping spots, boat docks, fish-cleaning stations, toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, potable water, garbage dumpsters, picnic shelters and swimming areas. In addition, there are large shelters available for group reservations at Clark’s Bay, Devil’s Elbow and White Sandy.
Earlier this year, the BLM installed three additional shelters at Devil’s Elbow in the tent camping area and replaced the information kiosk at Holter Dam.
- Stabilizing the bank at White Sandy southeast of the boat ramp. This work is currently underway and will continue until May 22. During this time, the site will be closed due to safety concerns associated with frequent truck traffic.
- Constructing a new administrative house at Log Gulch. This work is scheduled from June 15 to Oct. 30. The entire recreation site will be open with the exception of the actual construction area.
- Building new hiking trails immediately north of Log Gulch during May and June. This work will be done in two phases over the next two years and will not require any site closures.
- Paving, striping and landscaping the new parking lot at Holter Lake. This work is scheduled for Aug. 6-11. Although the parking lot will be closed during construction, the remainder of the site will be open.
Based on the number of improvements slated for the popular recreation area, the BLM has engaged its Resource Advisory Council to assist in reviewing the current fee structure for 2013.
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 59701