Southern Portion of Egin-Hamer Closure Now Open

The southern portion of the Egin-Hamer closure opened to human entry on April 1. Though the winter was fairly light at lower elevations this year, natural resource managers at the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Department of Fish & Game have tried to guarantee that wintering big games herds remained protected as long as possible and have maintained original closure dates as they relate to the Egin-Hamer closure and St. Anthony Sand Dunes. That portion of the Egin-Hamer Closure Area that is south of the Egin-Hamer Road opened 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 and BLM offices in Idaho Falls. The closure is patrolled by law enforcement officers from BLM and Fish and Game and by the Fremont County Sheriff's Department. Fish and Game staff members 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.