(Cedar City, UT)- Migratory birds are on their way to the northern hemisphere. Let’s welcome them back to our community by joining us in an International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) Festival on May 12, 2012 from 8 am to Noon at the West Canyon Park in Cedar City, Utah.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is hosting this event in partnership with the United States Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Southern Utah University and Cedar Middle School Governors Youth Council. International Migratory Bird Day Celebration recognizes the plight of the migratory birds and the many conservation efforts to address their unique needs with information booths, games, bird walks, prizes and other demonstrations that cater to small children and their families.

Leading up to the International Migratory Bird Day Festival elementary school age students can participate in a poster contest that showcases migratory birds or their habitats. Poster contest entries must be legal size 8 ½ by 14 inches with the name of the student, grade and school. There are two categories for entries Kindergarten to 3rd grade and 4th through 6th grade. The entries were due April 30, 2012. The winners of the poster contest will be announced at the IMBD Festival. Please contact Sheri Whitfield for more information at 435-865-3065.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land – the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.