Utah State Office
| Contacts: | Randy Griffin, 801-977-4300 |
BLM and Utah Cave Conservancy Offer Reward for Crystal Cave Vandals
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Salt Lake Field Office (SLFO), and the Utah Cave Conservancy are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of a recent break-in at Crystal Cave in Box Elder County. The break-in and vandalism occurred sometime between April 2011 and February 2012. Unknown persons broke through the gate, destroyed government property, and caused resource damage within the cave.
Significant caves on public lands are protected by the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act. Crystal Cave is managed by the BLM to preserve sensitive cave formations, protect bat habitat, and ensure public safety. Visitors to the cave are required to obtain a permit.
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.
Utah State Office 440 West 200 South, Suite 500 SLC, UT 84101-1345