BLM NEWS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in conjunction with other agencies within the Department of the Interior, will waive recreation-related fees for visitors to the National System of Public Lands on the first day of summer, June 21; National Public Lands Day, which is scheduled for September 24; and the Veterans Day holiday weekend, November 11-13. These fee-free days also apply to areas managed within the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS).
“While the American public has entrusted us with the management of their public lands, we can’t do it alone,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “One key component that assists us in caring for the natural and cultural resources found on public lands is stewardship, and waiving fees a few days out of the year may help some folks, who might otherwise not have the opportunity, to experience their public lands and develop a passion for them as others have.”
Site standard amenity and individual day-use fees at BLM recreation sites and areas will be waived for the specified dates. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, and group day use, will remain in effect.
More details about fee-free days and activities on BLM-managed public lands are available at
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/BLM_Fee_Free_Days.html.
The NLCS encompasses more than 27 million acres and includes 886 federally recognized areas, such as national monuments, national conservation areas, Wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, wild and scenic rivers, national scenic and historic trails, and conservation lands of the California desert.
The BLM manages more land – over 245 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.
