Egin-Hamer Closure Set to Open

The southern portion of the Egin-Hamer closure west of St. Anthony is set to open at sunrise on April 1. Because winter came earlier and never really let up, natural resource managers at the Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Fish and Game are working to ensure that wintering big games herds remain protected as long as possible and urge outdoor recreationalists to honor existing closure dates at the Egin-Hamer closure and St. Anthony Sand Dunes. The Egin-Hamer Closure Area south of the Egin-Hamer Road will open on schedule at sunrise on April 1. The area north of the road surrounding the dunes remains closed until sunrise on May 1. Maps of the closure are available at the regional Fish and Game offices in Idaho Falls. The closure is patrolled by law enforcement officers from BLM and Fish and Game and the Fremont County Sheriff's Department. Fish and Game employees are allowed as part of their administrative duties to enter the closure to carry out enforcement activities and retrieve radio collars from deceased study animals. Survey crews under the direction of the BLM may also be observed entering the closure. Both agencies will have personnel on the ground for both the April and May openings. The goal of the agencies will be to educate the public about the closure, but enforcement officers will be available to write citations for flagrant violators who harass animals or destroy habitat.