Buffalo Field Office
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Elser | |||
| (307) 261-7603 |
BLM Seeks to Improve the Visitor Experience at the Weston Hills Recreation Area
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Buffalo Field Office (BFO) will begin implementation of a new management plan for the Weston Hills Recreation Area.
Visitors can expect to see equipment and crews in the area in late August and early September improving portions of the road system at Weston Hills. Recreationists may experience temporary delays or closures of certain routes while construction is taking place. An additional 5 miles of off-highway vehicle trail for vehicles less than 50 inches wide is planned for 2013.
Weston Hills will also receive the attention of local volunteers on Sept. 29 as part of National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Installation of walk-through gates, fence repair, and litter removal are planned for the event.
The new management plan for the Weston Hills Recreation areas is available online at: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/bfo/WestonHills.html.
Weston Hills is located 25 miles northeast of Gillette, Wyo., and is accessible via Wyoming Highway 59 North. The Weston Hills Recreation Area consists of approximately 9,000 acres of BLM-administered public lands adjoining the Thunder Basin National Grassland. The area is jointly managed with the Forest Service.
For more information, or to confirm participation in NPLD, contact the BFO at 307-684-1100.
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