Designation of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), Saturday, September 26, 2015, as a Fee-Free Day at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation and Visitor Sites; Use of 2015 Fee-Free Coupon to Recognize NPLD Volunteers

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20240http://www.blm.govAugust 13, 2015In Reply Refer To:1114 (420) PEMS TRANSMISSION 08/17/2015Information Bulletin No. 2015-070To:                   All Field Office OfficialsFrom:               Acting Assistant Director, National Conservation Lands and Community PartnershipsSubject:           Designation of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), Saturday, September 26, 2015, as a “Fee-Free” Day at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation and Visitor Sites; Use of 2015 “Fee-Free Coupon” to Recognize NPLD VolunteersNational Public Lands Day (NPLD) will be celebrated on Saturday, September 26, 2015, 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; other fees, such as those for group day use, overnight camping, and cabin rentals, will remain in effect.Fee-Free Coupons for NPLD VolunteersParticipating Federal land management agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Defense), in conjunction with 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.  Each 2015 coupon will entitle the recipient and his/her family or vehicle companions to one “fee-free” day at any participating Federal recreation or visitor site within one calendar year, beginning on September 26, 2015.  A facsimile of a fee-free coupon is provided for your reference (Attachment 1).Coupons will be issued to volunteers 16 years of age or older participating in a registered NPLD event. Event coordinators should print 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. The 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 26, 2015 are also eligible to receive coupons in recognition of their contributions.The coupon supply must be under the continuous control of the site coordinator or his/her designee, as non-monetary recognition items must be accurately accounted for and secured. After completion of an NPLD event, any surplus fee-free coupons should be bundled, clearly labeled as “unused,” and mailed to Bibi Booth at:  BLM Division of Education, Interpretation & Partnerships (WO-420), 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 Passports, Golden Access Passports, and/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, 2016, used coupons should be bundled, clearly labeled as “redeemed,” and mailed to Bibi Booth at the address above.  Please share this information with your field employees, particularly Recreation staff and 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 2015 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, please feel free to contact Bibi Booth, Deputy Chief, Division of Education, Interpretation & Partnerships, at Bibi_Booth@blm.gov or (202) 912-7451, or Dave Ballenger of the Division of Recreation and Visitor Services at dballeng@blm.gov or (202) 912-7642.Signed by:                                                                   Authenticated by:                  Sally Butts                                                                  Robert M. WilliamsActing, Assistant Director                                          Division of IRM Governance,WO-860National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships 3 Attachments     1 – 2015 NPLD “Fee-Free Coupon” Facsimile (1 p)     2 – NPLD 2015 Site Coordinator/Project Chart (5 pp)     3 – Contact Information for BLM State Volunteer Coordinators (1 p)