BLM to Finalize Rules for Bangs Canyon and North Fruita Desert

The Grand Junction Field Office is finalizing rules for three areas this summer. Rules for the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area have already been released for final review.

“This final step ensures that we can provide the experiences and environment outlined in the management plans for these areas – plans the public helped us create,” said Grand Junction Field Manager Catherine Robertson. “The average user will not see any changes in the way we manage these areas. These are the same messages we've been communicating since the management plans were approved. They are already posted on our signs. In the past, they have been recommendations. In the future, they will be regulations.”

Public comments for Bangs Canyon will be accepted through September 21, 2009. The rules can be viewed online at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-17591.pdf.

Public comments for North Fruita Desert will be accepted through October 5, 2009. Rules can be viewed online at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18723.pdf.

Rules for both areas can also be accessed at the Grand Junction Field Office at 2815 H Road in Grand Junction, CO 81506.

Comments on the Bangs Canyon and North Fruita Desert supplementary rules may be mailed to Chris Ham, [Name of Area] Recreation Area, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506; or e-mailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please put “Attn: Bangs Canyon” or “Attn: North Fruita” in the subject line. For more information, please contact the BLM Grand Junction Field Office at 970-244-3000.

The BLM manages more land - 256 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.

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