The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says it is pumping $9M into its program to improve recreation on its public lands. Not only will recreationists see improvements, says the agency, but the money will mean more jobs.
Windfall leads to $9M to improve recreation
A windfall of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act are the source of the $9 million. BLM says it will hire an additional 30 recreation specialists, from park rangers to outdoor recreation planners. The new hires, says the agency, “promise to make BLM’s recreation program more resilient and able to deliver exceptional and one-of-a kind recreational experiences on public lands.”
40% increase of recreational use in 10 years
BLM could certainly use a little more help. In 2022, more than 81 million visits were recorded on public lands – a 40% increase since 2012, and that number grows each year.
“Demand for outdoor recreation continues to grow, and there are opportunities to improve how we manage sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “A well-managed BLM recreation program will build this sustainable future to meet demand for outdoor recreation, will have economic benefits for local communities, and will help conserve the climate, clean air and water and habitat. This program dovetails with efforts across the Administration to meet the need for recreation while also providing environmental benefits.”
Due to the increase of recreation on public lands, BLM published a new Blueprint for 21st Century Outdoor Recreation in August 2023. “The Blueprint outlines a vision to diversify resource support for recreation; prioritize and embrace partnerships;” says a BLM media release, “expand outreach and establish a culture of inclusion; and meet the demand for recreation, better protect resources, and improve access.”
But look beneath the surface
On the surface, $9M to improve recreation sounds great. However, RVtravel.com writer Randall Brink says there is a disturbing action afoot in the agency. In a recent editorial, Brink points out another agency plan could seriously cripple recreational access, particularly affecting those who take advantage of dispersed camping.
Writing of a new BLM rule, Brink says, “This proposed rule, ominously titled ‘Conservation and Landscape Health,’ has the potential to dramatically curtail access to public lands and, if implemented, would significantly impact the future of boondocking and dispersed camping. The rule would enable the BLM to severely restrict camping on the 245 million acres under its management.” We urge you to read more about it here.
##RVT1129b
Hmm, … I wonder what they’ll do with it?
Funny, this site is supposedly for people who care about recreation and public access. Most of u want to hand it over to gas and oil, mining and corporations that use is grazing leases for tax write offs, do a little research, someday u won’t have a place to park ur RV for free cause there will be oil and gas wells on it, wake up before it gone and support ur self instead of Trump.
Actually many of the private corporations would welcome responsible boondocking on their properties.
I know because I and many have boondocked on privately owned land.
?
Nine million dollars is a pittance (not that I want them to blow any more of OUR money). Our local government is proposing a five million dollar ‘investment’ in a well-used but small(er) city park. BLM – millions of acres. Local park – 60 acres.
My thoughts exactly, could they spare that much of the trillions they waste?
Pocket change ….
I completely agree that $9 million is a pittance. Any chance they could add another $9 million per year while we are distracted with something larger until it gets to $90 million, or $900 million? It starts with the first installment and a claim that “it’s insignificant”, “now look away”. ✌️
Billions come off BLM managed lands, and they get a $9 million increase. Yes sooo wasteful.
Pocket change to those with the deep pockets filled with others money
They are trying to lock up 1.8 million acres in the Rock Springs area in Wyoming right now.
Oil companies want to land grab that 1.8 and u wont have any access to it, do u guys ever think about reality?
“The blueprint outlines…..” inclusion and diversity? WTH is that?
Another big Gov’t takeover in the name of Diversity, equity and inclusion” Pretty words. More govt jobs. Not to be confused with the last jobs report that had 80% of the new jobs created for the period, being Gov’t jobs. If an economy is not creating private sector jobs that pay private sector taxes, how can we pay pay the wages for Gov’t sector jobs whose wages are paid with taxes. If everyone gets a govt paycheck, who is paying it? Marx, Lenin, Mao or Chavez?
Where are you getting the 80% being new government jobs number?
Not sure about the percentage but the government was the second largest ‘new job’ producer in Sep with over 70k jobs. Those jobs are not tax-producing jobs as they are paid with tax money/
Probably more IRS agents or more FBI agents to spy on citizens who ask question about what school boards are trying to teach our children about wokism.
Bob go back to sleep.
I stand corrected, 80% of the jobs added were non-fulltime OR private sector. The new govt jobs were only about 40% of the new jobs in September’s report, (73,000) with another 70,000 being part-time 2nd, 3rd or 4th jobs so yeah, things are not that bad when we only have to work 3 partime jobs to feed our families or 1 full-time job and then a part-time job in the evening. Let the kids raise themselves after school. That’s working too.
BTW: 80% of the fulltime jobs created were govt jobs.
The “Inflation Reduction Act” is that in name only. Increased Gov’t spending does NOT reduce inflation. It has the opposite effect. Anyone with any kind of economics background knows that. But, our spend-happy representatives that create these bills need to slap a nice sounding title on them regardless of what will actually result. Restricting money supply, not gov’t borrowing from our grandkids, is what tames inflation. It’s what the Fed started doing, albeit WAY too late since their incompetence, and that of Treasury Sec Yellen, grossly underestimated the seriousness of the situation.
💯. The shell game continues. 👍
The only take over is by mining and oil companies In Wyoming. There r millions of acres u cant use due to land grabbing corporations like Exxon, Mobil.
Darn those job creators. How dare they produce something useful and needed while creating HIGH paying jobs and then contributing hundreds of billions in taxes to pay for your roads using the oil they produce. Win/Win as I see it. What product does the BLM produce for society? What needed product does any agency in Gov’t produce?
BLM workforce hasn’t increased since 1976, hardly an increase in govt jobs
Not a single new BLM position created or hired for in 47 years? OK. 🦄🌈
I would prefer 1,000 oil wells over 100,000 windmills wiping out the condor populations. I would prefer 5,000 acres of natural gas (clean burning) exploration versus 5000 acres of solar farms ALSO killing off bird populations on a wholesale level. I prefer safe, clean, efficient and effective energy policy. Drill baby drill and do it on BLM land, all day everyday. Last week, the east coast’s offshore wind farm projects had the plug pulled on them. THANK GOD FOR SMALL MIRACLES. Save the whales.🤸♂️🌎🤸