BLM removes over 60 pounds of nails from Sand Dunes
As BLM Recreation Planner Ben Cisna headed out to begin seasonal preparations for the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, he didn’t expect to spend his entire day trying to remove thousands of sharp nails protruding from the sand.
“I pulled up to the area to complete some sign maintenance, and I noticed thousands of dark lines in the sand,” said Cisna. “I didn’t know what it was at first, but as I got closer I realized it was nails.”
Shifting sands and melting snow exposed the remnants of pallet burning and other illegal activities on the dunes.
Cisna said he spent the entire day sifting through the sand collecting the debris. He was able to cover approximately one-fourth of an acre and collected 60 pounds of nails and will have to resume cleaning at a later date.
“A small child playing on the dunes could easily fall or step on one of these nails,” said Jeremy Casterson, BLM Upper Snake Field Manager. “We do our best to keep the area clean, but it’s impossible for our staff to comb over every acre of the dunes trying to remove nails.”
Campfires are allowed in a designated section off Red Road, though not on the open dunes. Pallet burning, however, is strictly prohibited.
The Upper Snake Field Office is urging all who might be involved in illegal pallet burning to stop. Lack of compliance means the BLM will need to increase its law enforcement efforts and ticket those violating the rules.
