BLM Encourages Public to Take Pride in Our Public Lands
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With the weather warming up around the state, more people will be visiting public lands to view the wildflowers, catch a glimpse of a soaring hawk or a young mule deer, raft on rivers through deep canyons, or take in the dramatic views of the vast landscape. An increase in visitors can also mean a greater impact on the land, including the potential for more trash. To help keep our public lands clean and inviting, the BLM in Idaho is kicking off a Take Pride in Your Public Lands campaign. “The BLM is proud of the beautiful natural places that are available for everyone to enjoy, said Idaho BLM Acting State Director Tim Murphy. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of all those who devote their personal time to cleaning up these lands for the benefit of both the visitors and the resources.Through this campaign, the BLM is encouraging every member of the public to take pride in our public lands throughout the year by reducing our footprint on public land. “With everyone pitching in to help, not only with picking up their own trash, but also the trash of others, we can make a significance difference in improving our public lands, said Murphy. In fact, many individual and group volunteers around the state have already spent countless hours cleaning up the public lands they visit. We encourage members of the public to share their stories of how they cleaned up public areas that are special to them, which Idaho BLM will be sharing on our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BLMIdaho) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/BLMIdaho) pages. Wildlife habitat destruction, wildlife illness from ingesting trash, injuries to livestock, erosion and reduced visual quality are signs of increased human usage. In some areas, people also leave unwanted items like furniture and old electronics, rather than disposing of them properly. All of these can negatively affect the public outdoor experience when hiking, biking, fishing or taking in the scenery, and they are all preventable, said Murphy. Please join responsible friends and neighbors and take pride in your public lands, so they remain a safe beautiful place for all to enjoy!
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.