| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Affairs Specialist, 970-244-3097 |
BLM Colorado Honors COPMOBA
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office has announced its 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award recipients. This year, the organization recipient was the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association.
“COPMOBA is most deserving of this recognition,” said Catherine Robertson, manager of the BLM Grand Junction Field Office, who nominated COPMOBA for the award. Robertson presented the award to COPMOBA at the Colorado Mountain Bike Summit in Salida earlier this month.
The award recognizes individual volunteers or volunteer organizations for their outstanding contribution toward public land management.
“The value of public land volunteers can’t really be calculated or measured,” State Director Helen Hankins said. “We are truly grateful for all of our volunteers’ time and commitment to managing the natural landscapes we enjoy here in Colorado.”
COPMOBA is one of the most effective trail stewardship organizations in western Colorado and one of the most active volunteer groups. They contributed hundreds of volunteer hours in 2009 to build and maintain sustainable trails. COPMOBA celebrated its 20th year as an organization in 2009, and was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.
“COPMOBA’s partnership with BLM has been key to the development of some of the premier mountain biking trails in the nation, from the long-distance Kokopelli’s, Tabeguache and Paradox Trails to the groundbreaking Rustler’s Loop educational trail and Free Lunch freeride trail,” said Robertson. “The COPMOBA/BLM partnership serves as an outstanding model for creating and maintaining well-designed, sustainable trails that provide world-class recreational opportunities while protecting public lands. I commend COPMOBA’s commitment to engaging in the BLM planning process, learning the principles of sustainable trail design, and volunteering the time and energy necessary to build and maintain high-quality trails.”
To learn more about BLM’s volunteer program, contact Jack Placchi at 303-239-3832 or Jack_Placchi@blm.gov or contact Chris Pipkin in the Grand Junction Field Office at 970-244-3024.
Click Here for photo: Bike Summit 2010
BLM Grand Junction Field Office Manager Catherine Robertson (left) and Volunteer Coordinator Chris Pipkin (R) present COPMOBA President Chris Muhr with the BLM Colorado 2009 Volunteer of the Year award.
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.
2815 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81506