Vale BLM to host Owyhee River and Leslie Gulch National Public Lands Day events

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Vale District Office

Media Contact:

Larisa Bogardus

VALE, Ore. -- The Bureau of Land Management, Vale District, is hosting two National Public Lands Day events Saturday, Sept. 28, in Malheur County. 

The Malheur Field Office will lead volunteers in picking up trash, obliterating graffiti and pulling noxious weeds along the Owyhee River below the dam. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the Owyhee Wildlife Viewing Area. 

Friends of the Owyhee coordinates a trash pickup through Leslie Gulch. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the gate at the top of the canyon.

Tools, gloves and trash bags will be provided for both events. Participants should wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. A hat, sunscreen and bug spray are recommended.

Work will wrap up at noon with a cookout at the Bureau of Reclamation picnic area below the Owyhee Dam. Hot dogs, chips and bottled water will be served. Volunteers are welcome to bring a side dish to share. 

This is a great event for community or youth groups like service clubs, Scout troops or 4-H clubs to participate in. The first 30 participants will receive a free T-shirt and a one-day pass good for any federally-managed recreation site, such as John Day Fossil Beds or the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. 

Established in 1994 and held annually on or about the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and general health.

For more information, contact Dan Thomas at 541-473-6266 or Larisa Bogardus at 541-219-6863.


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.