Missoula Field Office
| Contacts: | David Abrams 406-533-7617 |
Missoula BLM Field Office Reopens Areas in Elevation Mountain
MISSOULA – The Bureau of Land Management has reopened most of the lands that were under a temporary area closure order due to wildfire activity, effective at 12:01 a.m. on September 7. Specifically, the order reopens all BLM lands lying within T13N, R13W, EXCEPT for sections 33-34— public lands east of Elevation Mountain in the vicinity of the Elevation Fire. Unless permitted in writing by the authorized officer, the public is prohibited from going into or being upon any lands designated in the closure order.
“At this stage in the wildfire suppression effort, we are ready to reopen most of the area back to hunters and recreationists,” said Rich Torquemada, Manager of the Missoula Field Office. He said the decision to reopen the public lands was made after close consultation with the Incident Management Team (Type 3) for the Elevation Fire and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
“Safety of the public and our firefighters continues to be our first and foremost concern. We’ve had great public cooperation during the closure, and this really helped the incident team,” Torquemada added. “The fire has transitioned to a type 3 team, and is being managed within the established fire containment perimeter.”
In addition to the continued closure in the immediate vicinity of the fire, the Keno Creek Road and Kennedy Creek Roads (BLM Roads 0405 and 2817, respectively) will remain closed while suppression and patrol efforts are underway, to ensure the public’s safety.
“This modification of the Elevation Fire closure, will allow increased public access while maintaining public and firefighter safety,” said BLM Western Montana District Manager Rick Hotaling.
Exemptions from the closure order include the following: those with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act; emergency repair of public utilities and railroads; persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice; any federal, state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty; and other exemptions unique to each agency.
A copy of the order and a map of the closure area can be seen online at http://inciweb.org/incident/3205/. They are also available at the Missoula Field Office, 3255 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804. For more information, call (406) 329-3914.
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.
Missoula Field Office 3255 F. Missoula Road Missoula, MT 59804