Reward for reporting illegal motorized travel or dumping on public land
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Bureau of Land Management is asking everyone to report illegal off-road travel or illegal dumping on public lands. It could earn the caller a $500 reward from the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Citizen Reward program.
BLM officers say they are seeing more travel violations during hunting and antler shed collecting seasons.
Driving a vehicle off-road or on a nonmotorized route is a violation of federal law. So is dumping on BLM land. Violators can be fined up to $280. Dumping can cost offenders up to $1,030. “Motorized travel” includes ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles as well as full-sized vehicles. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and other non-motorized activities are still allowed in areas not completely closed to humans.
The BLM Idaho Falls District manages nearly four million acres of public land in 19 counties.
“3.7 million acres is a big area to patrol,” BLM Law Enforcement Officer Amanda Schramm said. “We rely on the public to assist us by reporting illegal activity and other resource impacts to our public lands.”
You can report violations at (208) 524-7500 or BLM_ID_IF_LE@BLM.GOV. They should contain as much information as possible. That includes the date, location, and description of the incident along with when, where, what, and who you saw.
Officers say photos and videos with a license plate or OHV permit can be key evidence. Other details should include GPS coordinates and road names or numbers.
The agency designates roads and trails for motorized and nonmotorized use. It also prohibits off-road and trail travel in certain areas, and implement annual temporary seasonal closures. We are told those limits are particularly critical to protecting fragile soils, rare plants, and wildlife habitat.
“With everyone’s help, we can ensure that future generations will have the same opportunity to enjoy and protect the wild public commons that we and previous generations have embraced as a national birthright,” Schramm said.
Closure information is available on the BLM website here.
