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).
On Aug. 15, the Kemmerer Field Office plans to remove almost nine miles of fence to improve the seasonal movement of deer and pronghorn herds throughout their crucial winter range.
On Aug. 25, the Pinedale Field Office will convert existing BLM fencing in various areas to wildlife friendly specifications in order to reduce stress and energy expenditure of wildlife in critical habitat.
On Sept. 29, the Rawlins Field Office intends to repair and paint the campground and day use area and facilities at Teton Reservoir which have been impacted by extreme winter weather.
Also on Sept. 29, the Rock Springs Field Office will clean-up areas that have been used as unregistered dump sites along the base of White Mountain and in its various draws and ravines.
NPLD began in 1994 with 700 volunteers and three sites. Last year, more than 170,000 volunteers worked at over 2,067 sites and collected an estimated 500 tons of trash, removed an estimated 23,000 pounds of invasive plants, built and maintained an estimated 1,500 miles of trails, planted an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants and contributed an estimated $17 million to improve public lands across the country.
Volunteers are needed to make any NPLD event a success. For more information about an NPLD event near you, please contact your local HDD field office:
- Kemmerer: Wally Mierzejewski, 307-828-4508 or wmierzej@blm.gov
- Pinedale: Martin Hudson, 307-367-5315 or mhudson@blm.gov
- Rawlins: Dave Hullum, 307-328-4310 or dhullum@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. 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.
High Desert District 280 Highway 191 North Rock Springs WY 82901