High Desert District
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
Save the Dates for National Public Lands Day
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District (HDD) is planning a variety of activities in August and September to celebrate this year’s National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Event days will also include an activity focused on the cultural or historic value of each NPLD site.
The Kemmerer Field Office plans to repair the Slate Creek Campground facilities, remove litter and install trail markers near the campground on Thursday, Aug. 18. Representatives of the Oregon-California Trails Association will be on hand and a BLM archaeologist will discuss the significance of the Slate Creek variant of the Oregon-California Trail.
The Pinedale Field Office and U.S. Forest Service Pinedale Ranger District will clear brush, pick up trash and install signs at the CCC Pond Recreation Area and repair and maintain its facilities and trail system on Saturday, Sept. 17. A related program on the historical significance of the Fremont Lake Civilian Conservation Corp Camp during the New Deal Program of the 1930s will be led by a BLM archaeologist.
On Saturday, Sept. 10, the Rawlins Field Office intends to clear brush, remove litter, construct fence and erect signs at the JO Ranch, a newly designated National Historic Register site. A BLM archaeologist will also give a presentation about the ranch and its historical context.
The Rock Springs Field Office will install signs and complete a walkway at the Overland Stage Trail interpretive site near the Sage Elementary School on Saturday, Sept. 24. Interpretation panels will be installed to convey the historic and cultural importance of this trail - traces of which are still visible through this location - which provided stage travel for passengers across the country. Site improvement and cleanup around the school will also be a part of the day's activities.
NPLD began in 1994 with 700 volunteers and three sites. Last year, 170,000 volunteers worked at over 2,080 sites and removed an estimated 450 tons of trash, collected an estimated 20,000 pounds of invasive plants, built and maintained an estimated 1,320 miles of trails, planted an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants and contributed an estimated $15 million to improve public lands across the country.
Volunteers are needed to make any NPLD a success. To volunteer this year, or for more information about an NPLD event near you, please contact your local BLM HDD field office:
- Kemmerer: Wally Mierzejewski, 307-828-4508 or wmierzej@blm.gov
- Pinedale: Martin Hudson, 307-367-5315 or mhudson@blm.gov
- Rawlins: Bonni Bruce, 307-328-4287 or bbruce@blm.gov
- Rock Springs: Jo Foster, 307-352-0327 or gfoster@blm.gov
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. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.
High Desert District 280 Highway 191 North Rock Springs WY 82901