Buffalo Field Office
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Collins |
Volunteers Needed for Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Buffalo Field Office (BFO) is seeking volunteers to assist with the 2012 midwinter bald eagle survey on Saturday, Jan. 14.
The midwinter survey is part of a national effort that began in 1979 to establish an index of the total winter bald eagle population in the lower 48 states. Participants are asked to count eagles along standard routes in order to identify population trends. The standard routes are distributed across the Powder River Basin and will follow public roads.
In a change from previous years, volunteers are encouraged to pre-register for survey routes. To pre-register, contact Charlotte Darling at (307) 684-1045 by Friday, Jan. 6. Pre-registration is especially encouraged for routes in Sheridan and Johnson counties. Any routes that are not assigned during pre-registration will be available at the public meetings listed below.
Public meetings will be held to discuss survey methodology, eagle identification, and to distribute survey materials.
Meetings will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the following locations:
- Sheridan Jan. 10, 2012 Inner Circle, Sheridan County Library, 335 W Alger
- Buffalo Jan. 11, 2012 BLM Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street
- Gillette Jan. 12, 2012 Pioneer I Room, Campbell County Library, 2101 4-J Road
During last year’s survey, 54 volunteers counted 290 eagles throughout the Powder River Basin, including 200 bald eagles. A total of 1,428 eagles have been counted since surveys of the Basin began in 2006.
To volunteer, or for additional information, contact Charlotte Darling at (307) 684-1045. For more information on the national program visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bird Initiative web site at http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/employees/bird/midwinter.cfm.
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.
Buffalo Field Office 1425 Fort Street Buffalo, WY 82834