Category Archives: Bureau of Land Management

To show our appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. military, on May 19 – Armed Forces Day – the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will join with other federal agencies to issue annual passes that offer free access to public lands for active duty military members and their dependents.  Entry to BLM-managed public lands is already free in Alaska; however this military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass permits free entrance to sites managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service.

“BLM public lands offer the widest range of recreation opportunities of any public land agency.  This spectrum of traditional and new outdoor recreation activities contributes to the health and well-being of millions of Americans including members of the military,” BLM-Alaska State Director Bud Cribley said.  “We are proud to join with other federal agencies to make the passes available and to recognize the brave men and women who serve and their families.  We hope that a visit to these lands will offer an opportunity to unwind, relax, rejuvenate, and just have fun with their families.”

Entry to BLM-managed public lands is already free in Alaska.  Opportunities abound for rafting the Gulkana Wild & Scenic River, hiking the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail, watching wildlife along the Denali Highway, hunting and fishing along the Dalton Highway, viewing historic Ft. Egbert, snowmachining in the White Mountains National Recreation Area, and almost any outdoor recreation pursuit of your dreams.   Nominal fees are charged for use of facilities like campgrounds, picnic shelters and public cabins. For more information about recreation opportunities on BLM-managed public lands in Alaska, go to: www.blm.gov/ak.

In Alaska, active duty members of the Armed Forces can pick up their pass at the following BLM offices:

Alaska Fire Service
1541 Gaffney Road
Fort Wainwright, AK 99703

Alaska State Office Public Room
222 W 7^th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99513

Anchorage Field Office
4700 BLM Road
Anchorage, AK 99507

Glennallen Field Office
Mile Post 186.5 Glenn Highway
Glennallen, AK 99588

Fairbanks District Office
1150 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709

Arctic Interagency Visitors Center
Dalton Highway Milepost 175
Coldfoot, AK

Military members and their dependents must show a current, valid military identification card to obtain their pass. More information is available at Recreation.gov.

For more information on recreation and visitor services please visit the Bureau of Land Management Website.

Anchorage—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a notice in the Federal Register calling for nominations and comments on available tracts to be considered for its scheduled November 2012 oil and gas lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) – the second sale since President Obama directed the Department of the Interior on May 14, 2011, to conduct annual oil and gas lease sales in the NPR-A.

The BLM offered 3 million acres in a November 2011 NPR-A lease sale in response to the President’s announcement, which emphasized the need to protect sensitive areas while providing development opportunities.

The notice announces a 45-day period in which interested parties may nominate or comment on available tracts.  The Federal Register notice is the first step in the process leading up to the next oil and gas lease sale, which is tentatively scheduled for November 2012.

“The call for nominations and comments is a process for oil and gas lease sales within the NPR-A that gives industry, conservation groups and other stakeholders the opportunity to provide input into which tracts should be included in the sale and which tracts should be excluded from the sale,” said Bud C. Cribley, BLM-Alaska State Director.  “As industry begins to build infrastructure and explore and develop oil and gas on Alaska’s North Slope, this important step is part of our efforts to facilitate safe responsible domestic energy development within the NPR-A.”

To select which tracts will be available for the oil and gas lease sale, the BLM-Alaska State Director will consider the results from the Call for Nominations and Comments, existing natural resource and environmental data, the location of existing leases, multiple use conflicts,  resource potential, industry interest, and other available information.

There are 630 tracts on approximately 7.1 million acres that will be available for nomination and comment under this lease sale.  Currently there are 186 authorized oil and gas leases totaling 1,481,092 acres in the NPR-A.  Maps showing available areas are available on the BLM website:  http://www.blm.gov/ak.

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, diversity, 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.

Contact:
Artealia Gilliard, 907-271-4418, agilliard@blm.gov

Ruth McCoard, 907-271-3322, rmccoard@blm.gov
Deputy Chief, Office of Communications
BLM-Alaska State Office
222 W. 7^th Avenue, Suite 13
Anchorage, AK  99513-7504
907-271-3322 Office
907-952-0464 BlackBerry
907-271-5421 Fax

Ft. Wainwright, AK — The wildland fire season is upon us.  As of Thursday, April 26, thirteen human-caused fires had occurred. The 2012 Alaska Seasonal Outlook developed by the Fire Weather Program staff at the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center is forecasting the potential  for early season fires in the Interior and northern Alaska as average.  Due to the heavy snowfall south of the Alaska Range this year, conditions there favor a late start for fire season.  The complete Alaska Seasonal Outlook and additional fire potential information is available at http://fire.ak.blm.gov/predsvcs/outlooks.php.

June is typically Alaska’s busiest month for wildland fires. Lightning occurrence peaks in June, and people enjoy our Alaska outdoors increasing the possibility of human-caused fires.  As of June 1, 2011, 270 fires had occurred and 136,000 acres had burned; by July 1, that acreage had doubled.  While wildland fire in many areas is nature’s way of renewing and revitalizing the landscape, it is important to prevent human-caused fires that tend to occur in populated areas and to prepare for the possible threat of a wildland fire to your cabin, home or community. Alaska’s 10-year (2002-2011) average occurrence is 500 wildland fires and 65 percent of those fires were human-caused.

Governor Parnell has declared April 30 – May 4 Wildland Fire Preparedness and Prevention Week to remind Alaskans to “prevent, prepare and be aware” of wildland fire.  The Bureau of Land Management – Alaska Fire Service Manager Kent Slaughter commented that the Governor’s message was particularly appropriate for this time of year and emphasizes an important element in fire occurrence, prevention and preparedness: the human being.  “Each year, people unintentionally ignite wildland fires that nationwide cause taxpayers millions of dollars and also have an untold effect people’s lives. Now is the time to prepare.” The Firewise Alaska brochure and other brochures and educational materials that provide homeowners and communities with helpful hints to prepare for a wildland fire in their neighborhood are available at http://fire.ak.blm.gov/administration/awfcg.php

For more information about the seasonal outlook, contact the Fire Weather Program staff at the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center at 907-356-5591, or visit the BLM Alaska Fire Service website at http://fire.ak.blm.gov/.

Contact:
Artealia Gilliard, agilliard@blm.gov or (907) 271-4418 or
Mary Lynch, mlynch@blm.gov or (907) 356-5863

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today celebrated the 200^th anniversary of the General Land Office (GLO) with a public tour of the vaults where millions of land records are stored. The BLM also launched a new history website and BLM offices around the United States scheduled commemorative events through the year.

The GLO was established April 25, 1812 to handle the business associated with the sale of public lands for private ownership, transforming wilderness to agricultural use, and generating income for the Federal government.  The GLO, in fact, became the “Gateway to Land Ownership” for millions of people.  In 1946, the GLO and the U.S. Grazing Service merged to create the BLM under the U.S. Department of the Interior to manage the public lands for the benefit of current and future generations.

“The BLM has played an important role over the course of our young nation’s history. Today we not only celebrate the past, but we also commend the BLM for their ongoing efforts to carry out their critical mission to protect and manage America’s natural resources and heritage,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

BLM Director Bob Abbey led the public tour of the vaults containing the land records, which are at the BLM-Eastern States Office in Springfield, Virginia.  The tour also included a stop at the modern facility that scans and preserves the documents.

“With all these records and unique history available to us, the BLM also serves as a storyteller,” Abbey said.  “These events will play a central role in helping us to understanding how important land stewardship is to America’s future.”

As part of the celebration, the BLM launched a companion website named Our Heritage, Our Future.  The site features essays from BLM employees around the United States who share their “living histories,” an interactive timeline of BLM history, and other features showcasing the BLM’s growing mission.  The website also links to other BLM websites that commemorate the GLO and the 150^th anniversary of the Homestead Act on May 20.

“These websites give people a chance to learn about the challenges of modern multiple-use management, especially considering the breadth and diversity of today’s public land resources and what they mean to the public,” Abbey said.

Over the coming months, the BLM will broaden the celebration of the GLO and the Homestead Act with regular updates to Our Heritage, Our Future and two major public events.

In September, the Public Lands Foundation (PLF), the BLM, the Center of the American West, and the University of Colorado will host a symposium in Boulder, Colorado, to commemorate the GLO and the Homestead Act.  Also in September, the PLF, the BLM, and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University, will host a symposium in Phoenix, Arizona.  That symposium, in addition to discussing the GLO and the Homestead Act, will include sessions about the 100^th anniversary of Arizona’s statehood.

Other BLM state offices are planning events marking the GLO and the Homestead Act.  Information about those events can be found here.

Contact: Derrick Henry (202) 912-7526

Submitted by:
Ruth F. McCoard
Deputy Chief, Office of Communications
BLM-Alaska State Office

BLM proposing to construct foot trail along Denali Highway within the TLAD
 
The Bureau of Land Management Glennallen Field Office is proposing to construct a 1.5 mile, non-motorized, foot trail within the Tangle Lakes Archaeological District, originating at milepost 19.5 of the Denali Highway and heading south to an unnamed peak behind the Tangle River Inn.

The project would take place in June and July of 2011. The approximately 20 inch-wide trail would be constructed using sustainable design methods and through the use of hand tools. This proposal is being considered in response to meet growing demands for hiking and non-motorized recreational opportunities across field office managed lands.

Please direct comments or questions related to this proposal to Cory Larson, cory_larson@blm.gov,
 907-822-3217, no later than January 31, 2011

The State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed the winter Nelchina Tier II State subsistence caribou hunt for Game Management Unit 13 by emergency order on Sunday, November 14 for the 2010-2011 caribou hunting season.  However, the Federal subsistence caribou hunting season in thesame unit remains open to the taking of any caribou.  If you have questions about the Federal subsistence hunt in Game Management Unit 13, please call the Bureau of Land Management Glennallen Field Office at 822-3217.

The Bureau of Land Management has lifted the off-highway travel restrictions in the federally managed Tangle Lakes Archaeological District.

There is enough snow cover now to protect archaeological resources.

Due to the lack of adequate snow cover, OHV Travel will continue to be restricted to designated trails within the federally managed Tangle Lakes Archaeological District (TLAD).  This emergency restriction is being implemented for the protection of cultural resources and will remain in effect until further notice or twelve inches of snow cover or 6 inches of frozen ground exists. 

All designated trails within the TLAD are physically marked with green-dotted Carsonite signs.  Routes marked with red dots are closed to motorized vehicles.  Any person who fails to comply with this emergency restriction may be subject to penalties. 

Maps with designated trail markings are located at trailheads and are also available at the Bureau of Land Management Glennallen Field Office. 

The TLAD is located between Milepost 17 and 37 from Paxson, Alaska along the Denali Highway.  The Nelchina caribou herd annually migrates through the TLAD, making it a popular location for State and federal hunting within Game Management Unit 13.  

The TLAD was accepted to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.  More than 600 located historic and prehistoric sites within its boundary help to tell the story of human occupation, mining, and hunting for the past 10,000 years. 

For more information, see www.blm.gov/ak or contact the BLM Glennallen Field Office at 907-822-3217.

The BLM manages more land – 256 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including 75 million in 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, and cultural resources on the public lands.

Contact:  Marnie Graham, 907-822-7325  or Beth Maclean, 907-822-3217