Designation of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), Saturday, September 24, 2011, as a Fee-Free Day at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation and Visitor Sites; Use of 2011 Fee-Free Coupons to Recognize NPLD Volunteers

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWashington, DC 20240http://www.blm.govOctober 3, 2011                                                           In Reply Refer To:1114/8320 (172/250) PEMS TRANSMISSION 10/12/2011Information Bulletin No. 2012-001                               To:                   AFOs                        Attn:    Recreation Program Leads                                    Volunteer CoordinatorsFrom:              Assistant Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community PartnershipsSubject:          Designation of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), Saturday, September 24, 2011, as a “Fee-Free” Day at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation and Visitor Sites; Use of 2011 “Fee-Free Coupons” to Recognize NPLD VolunteersNational Public Lands Day (NPLD) will be celebrated on Saturday, September 24, 2011 as a “fee-free” day for visitors to all Department of the Interior recreation and visitor sites.  Site entrance/standard amenity and individual day-use fees only will be waived on this day; however, other fees, such as those for group day use, overnight camping, and cabin rentals, will remain in effect.Fee-Free Coupons for NPLD VolunteersFive of the Federal NPLD participating agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), in conjunction with the Take Pride in America program and the National Environmental Education Foundation, will present  “fee-free coupons” to NPLD volunteers in recognition of their invaluable service to our nation’s public lands.  The 2011 coupon will entitle the recipient and his/her family or vehicle companions to one “fee-free” day at a participating Federal recreation or visitor site of his/her choice within one calendar year after NPLD, beginning on September 25, 2011.  A facsimile of a fee-free coupon is provided for your reference (Attachment 1).Coupons will be issued to volunteers who are 16 years of age or older participating in a registered NPLD event.  Event coordinators should fill in the volunteer’s name on the coupon and inform him/her that the coupon is valid for use at any of the participating agencies’ recreation fee sites.  If the volunteer intends to use the coupon at an unstaffed U.S. Forest Service recreation fee site (e.g., trailhead, day-use site), the volunteer should use the coupon as one would cash, and exchange it for a daily pass using the established self-registration process at the site.  If there is no alternative, the volunteer may fill in the date and place the coupon on the dashboard of his/her vehicle.  Coupons are non-transferable, and if lost, will not be replaced. Coupon Distribution and PresentationSupplies of fee-free coupons have been distributed directly to all of the BLM’s NPLD site coordinators (see Attachment 2 for names and locations) by the National Environmental Education Foundation.  Site coordinators should note in their records the number of coupons received as well as the number distributed to NPLD volunteers.  Volunteers at sites with NPLD events on dates other than September 24 are also eligible to receive coupons in recognition of their contributions.The coupon supply must be under the control of the site coordinator or his/her designee, as non-monetary recognition items must be accurately accounted for.  After completion of an NPLD event, any surplus fee-free coupons, bundled and clearly labeled as “unused,” should be mailed to Bibi Booth of the BLM Division of Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships (WO-172) at 1849 C Street, N.W., LM2134, Washington, D.C.  20240. Coupon Redemption at BLM SitesFee-free coupons will be accepted at any fee site where America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes (Interagency Pass Annual, Senior, and Access), Golden Age Passes, Golden Access passports, or daily/annual site passes are accepted.   At the time of redemption, the holder of the coupon must surrender it to the appropriate BLM recreation or visitor site staff member, who must then record it as “one coupon redeemed.”  After September 24, 2011, used coupons, bundled and clearly labeled as “redeemed,” should be mailed to Bibi Booth at the address above.  Please share this information with your field employees, particularly those who are directly involved in NPLD, such as NPLD site coordinators (Attachment 2) and State Volunteer Coordinators (Attachment 3).NPLD Public OutreachWe also request that you promote both “fee-free NPLD” and the NPLD volunteer recognition fee-free coupon via news releases and web postings to encourage local residents and visitors to volunteer at one of the BLM’s many 2011 NPLD events.  Interested persons may be directed to the national NPLD website at    http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites, or referred to local NPLD site coordinators.Thank you for your cooperation.  For more information, you may contact Bibi Booth, Division of Education, Interpretation & Partnerships, at (202) 912-7451, or Anthony Bobo, BLM National Recreation Fee Program Manager, at (202) 912-7248.Signed by:  Nikki Moore, Acting Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community PartnershipsAuthenticated by:  Robert M. Williams, Division of IRM Governance,WO-5603 Attachments     1 – NPLD “Fee-Free Coupon” facsimile (1 p)     2 – NPLD 2011 Site Coordinator/Project Chart (4 pp)     3 – Contact Information for BLM State Volunteer Coordinators (1 p)