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) for another five years.
This MOU establishes a framework for cooperation to preserve, maintain, and improve existing backcountry airstrips located on BLM-managed lands.
The agreement's purpose is to support safe and responsible recreational aviation, often relying on RAF volunteers to maintain these "unimproved" airstrips.

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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).