Old homestead site

When you are driving around in the BLM area and find trees like this in a cluster it is usually means a site where a homestead once was.  Many of the old homesteads on the BLM area could not make a go of it and it diverted back to sagebrush. Sometimes you can find the cistern and some of them are listed on different maps. Many people do not realize you must have a permit to even pick up a rock off BLM land and they go get rocks, artifacts and sand and you can be given a ticket if you get caught. BLM does have officers that work the BLM land too.  If you find an indian artifact or arrowhead you are in big trouble with the feds. Anytime you want to  pick something up it is much safer to go in and get a permit. They are not expensive but I do not what the costs are now.

You will hear the locals referring to BLM land as "The Marginal" as the land was considered bad for farming and sometimes ranching and was marginal in its usage.

BLM does lease out grazing rights for cattle and sheep so PLEASE if you find a gate closed make sure you close it again after going through it. If you find a gate open, please leave it open as you might fence the cattle out where they can't get to the water hole and will die from lack of water.  The rule is "always leave a gate in the condition you found it in".  Cutting fences may seem like a little thing to you as fences are a pain but remember the animals may die because of your actions. It is not a little thing.

If we don't start taking care of our public land we are going to lose the right to use it without  permits and checking in and out. Please take care of our land and report any abuse you have to the authorities. Take license plates, color of vehicle, descriptions of people etc. Anything you can remember will help including GPS locations.

Leave the area where others can enjoy it too....DO NOT DESTROY and it is not a dump for your trash.