Havre Field Office
| Contacts: | Ben Hileman | |||
| (406-262-2827) | ||||
| Brad Purdy | ||||
| (406-896-5258) |
BLM Havre Seeks Comments on Proposed Dam Reconstruction
HAVRE – The Bureau of Land Management’s Havre Field Office is seeking comments on an environmental assessment (EA) to consider reconstruction of Blaine Reservoir No. 12 (BR-12). The BR-12 dam was constructed by the Works Progress Administration or “WPA” for flood control in 1936. The heavy flooding of 2011 damaged the structure to such an extent that it had to be breeched to prevent an uncontrolled failure.
“BR-12 has historically added to our quality of life here on the HiLine,” said Havre Field Office Manager Stanley Jaynes. “BR-12 has been a popular field trip destination with youth groups and area schools over the years and is designated as a Watchable Wildlife Area known for its premier waterfowl production.” In addition, the reservoir provides water for livestock and other wildlife.
BLM’s proposed action is to rebuild the dam with an improved design, including a lowered spillway, to avoid flooding the Cherry Ridge Road in wet years. BR-12 is located approximately 8 miles north of Zurich, MT.
Those who would like to provide comments should be as specific as possible with suggestions regarding resource issues, data sources, or alternatives to be considered in the EA.
To be considered, all comments must contain the name and address of the submitter. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personally identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For more information and full details on the BR-12 project, contact the Havre Field Office at 406-262-2820 for a copy of the environmental assessment or view it online at http://blm.gov/xzkd. Send comments to Ben Hileman, BLM Havre Field Office, at 3990 Highway 2 West, Havre, MT 59501, or e-mail bhileman@blm.gov. Comments on the EA are requested by Monday, February 25, 2013.
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.