Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Committee Members Re-appointed

Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Committee members have been re-appointed by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

The nine-member committee advises the Secretary and the Bureau of Land Management on resource management issues at the monument, which sits on the border between San Luis Obispo and Kern counties.

"The Carrizo Plain, one of America's great landscapes, is home to diverse communities of wildlife and plant species, is an area culturally important to Native Americans and is traversed by the San Andreas Fault," said Tim Smith, BLM Bakersfield Field Office manager. "I look forward to the committee's continuing advice and recommendations as we work together to manage these valuable public lands."

Committee members were appointed to staggered terms to allow a transition to full three-year terms.

The following council members were re-appointed:

Dale Kuhnle, Santa Margarita, a rancher representing those authorized to graze livestock (three-year term).

Neil Havlik, Ph.D (Chairman), San Luis Obispo, natural resources manager for the city of San Luis Obispo representing the public-at-large (two-year term).

Ellen Cypher, Ph.D, Bakersfield, a plant ecologist and research ecologist with the Endangered Species Recovery Program representing the public-at-large (one-year term).

Michael Khus-Zarate, Fresno, an educator and member of the Carrizo Plain Native American Advisory Council (three-year term).

Raymond Watson, Bakersfield, a member of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, District 4 (two-year term).

Jim Patterson, Atascadero, a member of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, District 5 (one-year term).

Carl Twisselman, McKittrick, a rancher and member of the BLM Central California Resource Advisory Committee (two-year term).

Raymond Hatch, Taft, former mayor of Taft representing the public-at-large (three-year term).

Robert Pavlik, San Luis Obispo, environmental planner representing the public-at-large (one-year term).

For more information on the monument, contact Johna Hurl, monument manager, at (661) 391-6093, or go to Internet website http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield.html

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