| Contacts: | Erin Curtis 970-244-3097 | |||
| Eric Boik 970-244-3070 |
BLM Colorado Ranger Honored As 2009 National Ranger of the Year
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Eric Boik, supervisory law enforcement ranger for the Bureau of Land Management’s Grand Junction Field Office, is the 2009 BLM National Law Enforcement Ranger of the Year. Boik was recognized at a ceremony in Salt Lake City last month for his contributions to the BLM Law Enforcement Program in western Colorado.
“Ranger Boik's leadership, work ethic and positive relationships have directly impacted the BLM's ability to promote public safety and the protection of public lands and resources in western Colorado,” said William C. Woody, director of BLM’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security. "Boik has exhibited outstanding leadership in his ability to develop and maintain a strong rapport while working on many issues across organizations and jurisdictions with local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
The Grand Junction Field Office enjoys productive relationships between law enforcement, management, and program specialists, largely due to Ranger Boik’s communication skills and willingness to keep management and program specialists informed on law enforcement issues.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by your peers for the work you do,” said Boik, who has worked in the Grand Junction Field Office since 2008. “We cover 1.2 million acres of land with a small staff of only three rangers including myself. Having good relationships with our local partner agencies and internal BLM staff is vital to our ability to protect these lands and the people who enjoy them. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to work together so effectively.”
Boik is a leader in developing innovative programs, such as spearheading an effort to install Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) in law enforcement vehicles used by rangers in the GJFO and McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. Mobile computing allows Rangers access to drivers’ licenses, registration, and warrant information. It also gives them the ability to display land ownership records using the geographic information system in real time.
Ranger Boik’s willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty is exemplified in many areas of his work. In 2009, Boik was selected by his peers to be the Field Ranger Representative to the National BLM law enforcement working group.
Prior to joining the staff in Grand Junction, Boik was a BLM law enforcement ranger in Phoenix from 2001 to 2007. During his time in Phoenix, Boik protected over 3 million acres of public land including two National Monuments, ten wilderness areas, and was instrumental in developing policies and strategies to protect BLM employees and the visiting public to BLM lands affected by the international border. In 2004, Boik was selected as a member of the BLM Law Enforcement Group of the Year for deterring narcotic and human smuggling traffic across BLM lands.
The National Law Enforcement’s Ranger of the Year award is a prestigious award granted annually by the BLM’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security to rangers who show outstanding, exceptional and significant performance within the BLM’s law enforcement program.
Click here for his photo. Boik is on the left.
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