BLM dispersed camping rules enforced through local action and Tooele County partnership
Lake Point, Utah — What began as a growing nuisance quickly became a powerful example of what local leadership and interagency collaboration can accomplish. The Lake Point City Council led the charge in identifying and resolving an illegal campsite in a popular recreation area—and restoring the land with help from the local community.
When council members received reports about an expanding campsite on the outskirts of their neighborhoods, they contacted the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office to explore their options.
“Lake Point citizens utilize this area so much and we enjoy the trails and just the general beauty of the open space,” said Kathleen VonHatten, Lake Point City Council member and Emergency Manager. “We were growing very concerned with garbage and nuisance issues from the campsite.”
The Council learned the area in question was Bureau of Land Management lands surrounded by private land, which required interagency coordination to assess jurisdiction. Fortunately for the Lake Point City Council, the Sheriff’s Office and BLM have a very supportive working relationship as they often must rely on each other to help the public.
BLM Law Enforcement Rangers educated the Council about dispersed camping regulations and informed the campers they were permitted to stay for only 14 days. Rangers also issued citations for littering. Once the two-week period expired, BLM Rangers were legally able to cite the campers for overstaying and additional violations and proceeded with an eviction.
But the job wasn’t done yet.
Recognizing the impact left behind—trash, potential safety hazards, and environmental damage—the Lake Point City Council put out a call to action on social media and organized a community cleanup, bringing together local residents, and interagency law enforcement.
On the day of the cleanup, about a dozen community members came out to the site, along with BLM Law Enforcement Rangers and Sergeant Dane Lerdahl with Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. The collaboration was evident from the start as community members pulled in with their tractors to help move bulk debris. A local resident also donated a dumpster for waste disposal. A member of the Tooele County emergency services even provided a sharps container to ensure safe handling for any needles found.
In less than 30 minutes, the group had cleared nearly all visible waste, with only minor tasks—such as graffiti removal and micro-trash collection—left to complete. The area was restored to near-natural condition and reopened for safe recreational use.
“This was a textbook example of how the BLM, county law enforcement, and city government can work together with local citizens to protect public lands,” said Matt Gochis, BLM Law Enforcement Ranger.
The council expressed their gratitude to all who participated and emphasized the importance of respecting public lands and following camping regulations. BLM and local officials also committed to ongoing monitoring of the area to prevent future misuse.
Of the many law enforcement actions taken, BLM impounded five trailers and vehicles from the campsite and made one arrest for a no-bail warrant.
*For more photos of the trespass campsite and the clean-up effort, visit the BLM Utah Flickr Page