Wyoming State Office
| Contacts: | Beverly Gorny | |||
| 307-775-6158 |
BLM Establishes New Policy for Suction Dredging
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Office recently established policy that suction dredgers who would normally file a letter of authorization with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WYDEQ) under guideline 19, must now contact the appropriate BLM Wyoming field office before conducting suction dredging operations. This policy applies when the BLM is the surface management agency of the drainage or stream bottom and the land is open to the location of mining claims or a claim already exists.
The policy was established after WYDEQ determined it will no longer require the filing of the information under appendix A of Guideline No. 19 – Non-commercial Recreational Panning and Gold Dredging. The surface management regulations at 43 CFR Part 3809 require either the State to inform the BLM of suction dredge filings made with the State under a memorandum of understanding or the suction dredger to contact the BLM prior to conducting operations.
The new policy, titled BLM Wyoming Instruction Memorandum WY-2011-036 Suction Dredging Operations is located at: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/resources/public_room/efoia/IMs/2011.html
The BLM Wyoming field offices and their contact information can be found at BLM's internet website: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en.html. The BLM field office will determine if the operations constitute casual use or if you need to file a notice or plan of operations. For more information, contact Pete Sokolosky at 307-775-6261.
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.
Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009