Butte Field Office
| Contacts: | Kristen Lenhardt, 406-896-5228 |
BLM to Temporary Close Areas in Scratchgravel Hills to Rehabilitate Impacts from Corral Fire
BUTTE (Oct. 25, 2012) -- Because of on-going rehabilitation work in areas affected by this past summer's Corral Fire, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Butte Field Office will temporarily close portions of the Scratchgravel Hills starting just after midnight on Oct. 29 lasting through Nov. 5.
On Monday, the BLM will begin to spread native grass and forb seed over areas with a severe erosion hazard via a helicopter. Following the seeding, the BLM and U.S. Forest Service will drop hay bales from helicopters to strengthen the stability of the ground at areas most affected by the Corral Fire. To ensure public safety during the distribution of the hay, the Butte Field Office has issued a closure notice for all BLM lands, including all roads, trails and trailheads, lying within T10N, R4W, sections 1-5 and T11N, R4W, sections 20-23, 26-29 and 34-36. (Click here for map.)
For more information, call the Butte Field Office at (406) 533-7600. For the latest BLM news and updates visit us on the web at: www.blm.gov/mt and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/BLMMontana.
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