Service Animal Use by Persons with Disabilities

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov/

October 15, 2015

In Reply Refer To:

8360 (250/720) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 10/21/2015

Information Bulletin 2016-004

To:                   All Washington Office and Field Office Officials

From:               Acting Assistant Director, Resources and Planning

Subject:           Service Animal Use by Persons with Disabilities

This Information Bulletin (IB) is to provide clarification and information to ensure consistency on the use of service animals by persons with disabilities who access Bureau of Land Management (BLM) facilities, public lands and waters. 

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently published “Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA” in June of 2015 http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html.   These FAQs will assist in answering a number of inquiries that BLM field offices have been asking on the use of service animals on BLM lands.  Attachment 1 provides relevant excerpts from this publication.

Many people with disabilities use a service animal in order to fully participate in every-day life.  For consistency within the BLM and with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the BLM will use the definition of service animal found in the DOJ 28 CFR Part 35.104 for State and Local Government and 28 CFR Part 36.104 for Private and Commercial Facilities.  

The DOJ defines a service animal as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.  The DOJ also allows miniature horses to be designated as service animals if they have been trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.  

For more information about service animal use at BLM facilities, lands and waters, please contact Ken Greenberger, Division of Recreation and Visitor Services (WO-250) by telephone at: 202-912-7046, or by email at: kgreenbe@blm.gov, or Gina Edelen, Division of Civil Rights (WO-720) by telephone at: 202-912-7488, or by email at: gedelen@blm.gov.

Signed by:                                                       Authenticated by:

Michael H. Tupper                                          Robert M. Williams

Acting, Assistant Director                              Division of IRM Governance,WO-860

Resources and Planning

1 Attachment

        1 - Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA (4 pp)