BLM seeks public comment on fees at campsite near Crested Butte
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GUNNISON, Colo. - The Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office is proposing an overnight use fee at Oh Be Joyful Campground near Crested Butte, Colorado.
The Oh Be Joyful Campground is located about five miles northwest of Crested Butte by the Slate River, and the BLM estimates that more than 50,000 visitors use the recreation site annually. This increased use has resulted in negative impacts to natural resources and visitor experiences.
If the fee is approved, the BLM will enhance visitor experiences with improved maintenance, amenities and facilities. The proposed fees for this site would be $10 per night for a designated site (a designated site has a numbered post, parking space, picnic table and fire pit), and $5 per night for a dispersed site (all other camping).
“The Oh Be Joyful Campground is one of the most popular camping areas within the Gunnison Field Office,” said Stuart Schneider, Associate Field Manager for the BLM Gunnison Field Office. “Establishing a fee program that provides needed public services will help minimize user conflicts while protecting and enhancing public lands and recreation opportunities.”
For more information, contact Kristi Murphy, BLM Recreation Planner at 970-642-4940 or kmurphy@blm.gov. Comments regarding the proposal should submitted by Friday, Mar. 20, via mail to the Gunnison Field Office, Attn. Stuart Schneider, 210 West Spencer Ave., Ste. A, Gunnison, CO 81230; via email to swschneider@blm.gov; or via fax to 970-642-4990.
Before including your address, phone number, email address or other personal identifying information in a comment, be advised that the entire comment - including personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.