High Plains District
| Contacts: | Cindy Wertz | |||
| (307) 775-6014 |
BLM Buffalo, Casper and Newcastle Offices Lift Fire Restrictions
Effective Oct. 27, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Plains District Office (HPDO) has lifted the fire restrictions on BLM-administered lands, in the Buffalo, Newcastle, and Casper Field Offices.
“We appreciate all of the cooperation, and compliance to the restrictions from all public land users this past fire season. We issued very few fire violation notices,” said Kirk Strom HPDO fire management officer.
Cooler temperatures and increased moisture have helped improve conditions so that the following activities can resume on BLM-administered public lands:
- Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire.
- Smoking.
- Operating a chainsaw.
- Using an arc or gas welder or acetylene or other torch.
The following restrictions are in effect year-round on BLM-administered public lands:
- Discharging or using fireworks.
- Discharging a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.
- Burning or igniting tires, wires, magnesium, or other hazardous or explosive material.
- Operating an off-road vehicle unless it is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester.
Although the BLM HPD has lifted their restrictions, fire restrictions on public lands differ by agency, forest and BLM field office. Refer to the following website for details and updates: www.wy.blm.gov/wy_fire_restrictions/.
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 Plains District 5353 Yellowstone Rd. Cheyenne, WY 82009