Group site reservations to be required at Birch Creek

The Bureau of Land Management will now require a $35 per night reservation fee for large group camping sites at the Birch Creek Campground.

Upper Snake Field Office outdoor recreation planner Shannon Bassista said the agency receives numerous requests to reserve group sites, but cannot do it without a fee system in place. “Unfortunately, we have no legal way to reserve these sites, and that creates a problem for large groups of people, such as family reunions, who would like to camp together.”

The new fee would guarantee exclusive camping access. It could be reserved only through the Eastern Idaho Visitor Information Center collections officer. Reservations will be required at least 24 hours in advance. There would still be no fee charged to camp at Birch Creek.

The revised BLM business plan can be on line at: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/march/blm_considering_group.html