Wind River/Bighorn Basin District
| Contacts: | Peggy Truman | |||
| 307-347-5212 |
BLM Reminds Snow Machines to Stay on Roads
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials want to remind snow machine owners to stay on existing roads.
 Snow machine tracks. |
“There is normally not enough snow to provide adequate ground cover for machines to operate above the vegetation and soils or off road. There is also not enough snow coverage for machines to travel over sagebrush and other vegetation. The machines are causing damage to these plants when traveling off roads or designated areas,” Rau explained.
“Good snow pack on public lands within the Wind River/Bighorn Basin District just isn’t available. Off-road use, such as snow machining, may damage those resources we manage to sustain which are especially fragile this time of year,” he added.
Deer, elk, and sage-grouse rely on this vegetation for habitat throughout the year. These areas are also vital this time of year for big game winter habitat. Animals are at a low point for energy reserves and disturbance by snow machines can affect these animals.
“I recently saw, while out patrolling, several examples of where people had taken snowmobiles and driven across country on BLM. Under the BLM regulations snow machines are restricted to either designated routes or existing routes,” said BLM Law Enforcement Ranger Aaron Kania.
For more information please contact, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Paul Rau, at (307) 578-5900.
For more information regarding snow OHV regulations go to: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/field_offices/Worland/rec/ohvrules.html
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