By Adam Gebauer
More and more people are looking to use our public lands and, well, that is what they are for. But not all of our public lands are accessible. A recent report found that over 9 million acres of federal public land do not have permanent legal access, the vast majority of this land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The new director of the BLM Tracy Stone-Manning is working to make those parcels more accessible. With the passing of 2019 John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act the BLM has just launched a new tool that allows citizens to nominate parcels that are prime for recreation but lacking in access. The BLM Dingell Act Priority Access List Portal is a web based map that lets you highlight BLM lands that are in need of better access.
“It is clear the American public is passionate about increasing access to public lands. People responded strongly when we asked for their help in identifying places to open,” says Tracy Stone-Manning, Bureau of Land Management director. “This new technology to gather nominations will help us organize what we anticipate will be an equally robust response in 2022.”
The first nomination round took place in 2020 with over 2,800 nominations qualifying for further evaluation. This would open up nearly 3.5 million acres in 13 western states. Washington already has several parcels of BLM land recommended for better access including the Saddle Mt area of Lower Crab Creek and Rattlesnake Hills near Sunny Side.
“Public land doesn’t serve the greater good if hunters, anglers, campers or other users can’t get to it”, BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said.