Arizona State Office
| Contacts: | Deborah Stevens, (602) 417-9215 | |||
| Dennis Godfrey, (602) 417-9499 |
New BLM Arizona State Director Installed
Phoenix – Ray Suazo, a 23-year career Federal employee and veteran was installed on February 14, 2012, as State Director for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona.
BLM national Director Robert Abbey administered the oath of office to Suazo in a ceremony at the BLM State Office in downtown Phoenix.
“I am proud to lead the dedicated BLM employees in Arizona. They are committed to serving the public and protecting the great resources entrusted to us,” Suazo said. “It also is an honor to take the oath of office on Arizona’s 100th birthday.”
As State Director, Suazo oversees nearly 500 employees and is responsible for managing more than 12 million acres of federal surface land and 17 million subsurface and split-estate acres.
Suazo was designated as BLM’s Arizona State Director in December 2011, after serving for several months as acting State Director. He replaces Jim Kenna, who was appointed BLM California State Director.
Suazo previously served as associate state director, deputy state director, and chief information officer for the BLM in Arizona. He has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico, Washington, D.C., and Arizona. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force. He has a bachelor of arts degree in management information systems from New Mexico Highlands University.
Suazo and his wife Denise have four children, Reyes, Adela, Victor, and Franchesca.
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.
Arizona State Office One North Central Avenue, Suite 800 Phoenix, AZ 85004-4427