Public land is suspended.
The federal Bureau of Land Management has announced that “essentially all services” are suspended while the federal government is shut down. The BLM’s recreation facilities — visitor centers, campgrounds, boat ramps, etc. — will be closed during the shutdown.
The BLM notes in a press release that law enforcement and emergency response will continue. No new oil and gas leases or permits will be issued during the shutdown. In Colorado, there are 2,217 leases on federal lands; the BLM will continue “limited work” on safety procedures on those leases.
The BLM shut down represents a massive loss for the federal government, the press release says. For every dollar spent in the BLM budget, the department generates $4 in revenue.
“The BLM manages 245 million acres — more than any of the nation’s major natural resource agencies, with the smallest budget, the fewest employees, and the lowest cost,” the press release says.
See the Department of the Interior’s contingency plans here.
