The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
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The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
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Last updated: 05/31/06
| Bureau of Land Management For Immediate Release: Monday, February 13, 2006 NSHT Strategy and Work Plan |
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Bureau of Land Management Releases Final National Trails PlanThe Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management released its final strategic plan today, setting out how the agency will manage its National Scenic and Historic Trails Program over the next 10 years. “Today, we set the course on how these priceless public land resources will be managed for years to come,” BLM Director Kathleen Clarke said. “From Alaska to Arizona and all across the West, we are ensuring that the public will always have these trails to enjoy.” The National Scenic and Historic Trails Strategy and Work Plan will enhance visitor services and recreation management along the trails, provide consistent direction for protecting and developing trail resources in a multiple-use environment, and advance BLM’s partnerships with trail organizations and other agencies in managing the trails under the Bureau’s jurisdiction. During the comment period from April 29 to July 1, 2005, the BLM received several letters on the draft plan from organizations, associations, industry, government agencies, and private citizens. The comments are reflected as appropriate in the direction contained in the final document. This is the Bureau’s first Strategy and Work Plan for these congressionally designated trails. The Plan establishes goals and objectives and describes how the BLM expects to implement these actions by 2015. Developing guidelines for signage, for example, will give BLM managers responsible for these trails a consistent standard. The BLM manages more miles of National Historic Trails than any other Federal agency, administering land along 10 National Historic Trails in 10 Western States. On three of these trails — Alaska’s Iditarod National Historic Trail as well as the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and Old Spanish National Historic Trails in the Southwest — the Bureau coordinates management of the entire trail, including portions of the trail located on non-BLM land. The BLM also manages two National Scenic Trails as well as seven trail-related visitor centers, often in partnership with State agencies and local interest groups. National Scenic and Historic Trails became part of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System in 2000. In addition, the BLM’s Recreation, Cultural Resources, and Engineering Programs continue to support the development, maintenance, and protection of these trails as well as coordinate with trail organizations and volunteers. The BLM manages more land – 261 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’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 BLM 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.
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