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CODY, Wyo. - Through shared conservation stewardship and local community support, the Bureau of Land Management Cody Field Office aims to enhance recreation opportunities in northwest Wyoming during its next National Public Lands Day event on Saturday, Aug. 26. Volunteers are needed for a workday to make the Hogan and Luce Recreation Area more accessible and enjoyable for our neighbors and visitors with disabilities.

During the workday, volunteers will help install new accessible picnic tables, fire-rings and bear boxes at the campsites. Other work will include leveling surfaces and painting/repairing informational kiosks and visitor registration boxes.

Community partnerships and inclusions are vital to the BLM’s mission of managing sustainable, enjoyable public lands for all Americans. This project will not only involve local communities, but also enhance access for members of the public.

“There are currently more than 56 million individuals living in the U.S. with a disability, nearly one in five people,” said BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Rick Tryder. “The BLM Cody Field Office is focusing its efforts on improving accessible outdoor recreation, starting with Hogan and Luce.”

The group will depart at 8 a.m. from the Cody Field Office at 1002 Blackburn Street. Those who prefer to meet onsite should contact Tryder for information and directions at 307-578-5926. Volunteers should bring lunch, water, sunscreen and gloves, and wear sturdy shoes and clothing appropriate for outside work and variable weather conditions.    

“We’ll accomplish as much as we can, but the primary objectives are to get the community outside, enjoy public lands, get to know each other, work, learn and introduce people to accessible recreation,” continued Tryder. All ages are welcome.

Those who participate in a NPLD activity will receive a coupon good for a one-time free entrance to Yellowstone National Park or another federally managed area of their choice.

NPLD began in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers. Since then, the event has grown by leaps and bounds and is now the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for the care of public lands. In 2013, the 20^th anniversary of NPLD, about 175,000 volunteers worked at 2,237 sites in every state, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.

For more information, contact Tryder at 307-578-5926 or rtryder@blm.gov. For more information about NPLD visit www.publiclandsday.org or www.facebook.com/nationalpubliclandsday. Tweet about your NPLD experience on Twitter with the hashtag #NPLD or @PublicLandsDay.