For Immediate Release: December 29, 2004 
Contact: Steven Hall: 970-244-3052
 
 

Gunnison Field Manager Barry Tollefson to retire Jan. 3, 2005

GUNNISON—Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Manager Barry Tollefson will retire Jan. 3, 2005 after over 31 years of Federal service. Tollefson spent the last 20 of those years in Gunnison, joining the Gunnison field staff in 1985 as Resource Staff Chief. In 1988 he was named the area manager, a position he held until his retirement.

“As a public land manager my greatest satisfaction has come from working with the people and communities in the Gunnison Basin. Trying to balance the wide ranging expectations that people have of the resources we manage hasn’t always been an easy task. However, it has always been my feeling that working together to improve the condition of the public land and to enhance the public’s ability to use and enjoy these resources is what it’s all about,” Tollefson said. “I have tried to be open, honest, approachable and fair in my dealings with the public. That, combined with an incredibly talented staff, has produced some pretty good results over the years.”

Tollefson cites effective partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and three county governments among his most significant accomplishments. Projects that involved not only local, state and federal agencies, but also private and non-profit partners, have been especially satisfying for Tollefson.

A couple of notable partnerships are the Alpine Triangle Recreation Task Force and the Gunnison Sage Grouse Working Group. The Alpine Triangle Recreation Task Force began meeting almost 15 years ago to discuss and prioritize recreation development, maintenance and long range initiatives for the high country above Lake City. “The value of that partnership to the BLM and the communities involved has grown steadily since that time,” he said.

Tollefson was also a key player in the Gunnison Sage Grouse Working Group, a wide spectrum of agencies and individuals that have pulled together and worked for almost 10 years to develop and implement a community-based conservation plan to address the decline of Gunnison sage-grouse in the Basin. “The challenges for conserving the Gunnison sage grouse are immense, but recognition of the importance of their role has kept this group meeting and working diligently to accomplish that objective,” he added.

Tollefson notes that land exchanges and acquisitions done over the years are particularly gratifying. These have ranged from small projects like the 80-acre acquisition in the Hartman Rocks area to larger efforts like the Lake Fork of the Gunnison and the Dillon Pinnacles, Ryan's Ranch, Antelope Creek and many others. These resulted in the acquisition of several thousand acres of land important for wildlife habitat, access, recreation use and more.

While staying focused on local issues Tollefson also took time to be involved in BLM issues at the national level He served on several national BLM teams that created new budget and performance accounting processes. He was also involved in developing the BLM’s Total Quality Management concept, which integrates customer service with continuous improvement in business practices. Tollefson also served on the BLM’s Land Exchange Program Review Team, which developed recommendations that have resulted in significant changes to BLM’s land exchange policy.

In addition to his work in the Gunnison area, Tollefson served as the Colorado Wilderness Program Coordinator and as a recreation management specialist in the BLM Colorado State Office.

“I came here in 1985 thinking I would stay for five years or so and ended up staying 20. Gunnison has been a great place to live and raise my kids. I can’t think of any place BLM has to offer that I would rather have spent the better part of my career,” he concluded.

-BLM-