Wind River/Bighorn Basin District
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM, Washakie County and Students Partner on Big Horn River Island
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Worland Field Office recently partnered with Worland High School students, Washakie County Weed and Pest Control District, Washakie County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service to return an island in the Big Horn River to its natural state.
 Haley Krump passes Russian olive branches to Zainab Khorakiwala. |
 Zainab Khorakiwala drags a branch across the Big Horn River. |
 BLM firefighters and high school students retrieve the cut Russian olive branches from the island. |
 Washakie County Weed and Pest Supervisor Jarrod Glanz chemically treats the stumps after BLM Fire Management Officer Chuck Russell cuts the Russian olives. |
Motorists crossing the bridge on Big Horn Avenue Monday morning were likely surprised by the sight of students in thigh-deep water, dragging tree limbs and trunks across the river. Thirty-seven Worland High School students from the zoology, field biology and field geology classes, along with their teachers, hauled the previously-cut trees from the island to a chipper stationed in the park.
Kitsy Barnes' field biology class was recently selected as one of three classes from across the state to serve in a University of Wyoming school-community engagement initiative. The Russian olive eradication workday was the beginning of a multi-year park beautification project the class chose for this pilot program.
As the workday concluded, BLM Fire Management Officer Chuck Russell talked to the group about seasonal employment opportunities with the BLM and emphasized the importance of having a positive attitude when working with others. “You all brought different strengths to the project and I was pleased to see the whole group come together and get the job done,” Russell said.
For more information, please contact Russell at 307-347-5100.
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.
Wind River/Bighorn Basin District 101 South 23rd Worland, WY 82401