U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Washington Office
Washington Office
| Contacts: | Jenny Hammond | , 202-912-7368 |
BLM Designates 2010 Fee-Free Days
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in conjunction with other agencies within the Department of the Interior, will waive recreation-related fees for visitors on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day) on many of the public lands managed by the BLM, including areas within the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
“In celebration of not only the 10th birthday of the BLM’s national conservation lands but also America’s Great Outdoors, we invite visitors to take the path less traveled and discover these treasured public lands during the fee-free days,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “For decades, millions of Americans have sought to connect with the outdoors by exploring the National System of Public Lands, and the BLM is proud to be a part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.”
Site standard amenity and individual day-use fees at BLM recreation sites and areas will be waived for the day. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, and group day use, will remain in effect.
The NLCS encompasses more than 27 million acres and includes 886 federally recognized areas of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the California Desert. For more information on the conservation system’s 10th anniversary, go to http://www.blm.gov/nlcs.
More details about fee-free days and activities are available at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/BLM_Fee_Free_Days.html
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.