U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Worland Field Office
Worland Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM and Scouts Improve Salt Lick Trail
Several local Boy Scouts teamed-up with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Worland Field Office for a recent workday to improve a popular trail east of Ten Sleep, Wyo.
 Mike Roberts & Paul Rau (BLM) provide instruction to the scouts as Steve Kiracofe (BLM) and Dawson Young start digging-in. |
 Taylor Kalfell wields a pulaski. |
The Boy Scouts, parents, and staff from the Worland Field Office installed 84 timber steps to improve access on the trail, make the trail safer for hikers and help armor the trail from erosion. This project continued work begun last summer, when BLM firefighters constructed the loop portion of the trail.
“I liked seeing everyone working together to get stuff done,” said Boy Scout Brett Roberts. Roberts is now only three merit badges away from earning his Eagle Scout and the Salt Lick Trail project fulfilled a service project requirement towards accomplishing his goal.
“I don’t know if we could have gotten this done without the scouts,” said BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Paul Rau. “They did a tremendous amount of work and the public now has a better, safer trail.”
Improvements made during the workday can be enjoyed by everyone during a BLM-led hike to celebrate National Trails Day this Saturday, June 4. People interested in this free hike will meet at the Worland Field Office located at 101 S 23rd Street at 9:00 a.m. and caravan/carpool to the trailhead. Ten Sleep area residents can meet the group at the Salt Lick Trail parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Bring water, a sack lunch and sunscreen, and wear appropriate clothing and hiking boots. Binoculars and cameras are also recommended.
The trail is approximately 2.5 miles long and rated as moderate overall, with a mildly strenuous section at the beginning. Rau and BLM Recreation Technician Mike Peterson will guide participants up the Salt Lick Trail as they describe the natural history of the area. There will be an opportunity for lunch at a vista along the trail.
For more information about the National Trails Day hike on June 4, visit www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/news_room/2011/may/20wfo-trailsday.html or contact Paul Rau or Mike Peterson at (307) 347-5100.
 Dawson Young carries a timber up the steep trail to be used as a step. |  Brett Roberts & Ben Kretz work together to place a new step in the trail. |  Front row: Steve Kiracofe, Frank Ley, Ben Kretz, Bob Bryant, Paul Rau, Barb Roberts, Paula Roberts, Cliff Roberts. Middle row: Taylor Kalfell, Austin Brazell, Dawson Young, Chance Martello, Bobby Bryant, Cody Newell, Mike Roberts. Back row: Brett Roberts, Chase Rishel. |
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.
Worland Field Office 101 South 23rd Worland, WY 82401