RAF and BLM Renew Backcountry Airstrip MOU

Five-year agreement continues collaboration to maintain and preserve recreational airstrips on government lands.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 12:38 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The Recreational Aviation Foundation and Bureau of Land Management have renewed a memorandum of understanding on how to protect backcountry airstrips. [Credit: Recreational Aviation Foundation/Ben Carlson]

Key Takeaways:

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
This MOU establishes a framework for cooperation between the RAF and BLM to preserve, maintain, and improve existing backcountry airstrips on BLM-managed lands.
The agreement supports safe and responsible recreational aviation by coordinating efforts to upkeep unimproved airstrips often damaged by natural causes or other land users.
Valid for five years, the renewed MOU is seen as a significant step in the RAF's mission to ensure continued recreational aviation access.

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One of the most challenging aspects of creating aviation-friendly remote areas is balancing land management and conservation with the recreational community. It helps when the interests can work together to lay down some rules.

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) knows this only too well and announced a renewal of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).