| Contacts: | David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 876-9008 |
BLM seeks nominations for Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations for five openings on its Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council. The 15-member citizen council is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to advise BLM on public land management issues.
The Northwest Colorado RAC advises Field Offices in BLM’s Northwest Colorado District, including Grand Junction, Colorado River Valley (Glenwood Springs), Kremmling, Little Snake (Craig) and White River (Meeker) field offices.
RAC members serve three-year terms. They represent diverse interests from one of three categories:
· Category One – BLM grazing permittees; representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, the timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation.
· Category Two – Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historical organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations.
· Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.
The NW RAC will have one opening in category one, and two openings each in categories two and three.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others. Nominees must be residents of Colorado. Nominees will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision making. All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations; a completed background information nomination form; and any other information that speaks to the nominee's qualifications.
“I value the advice given to the BLM by these citizen-based Resource Advisory Committees, and I know that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar shares my view of their importance,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “The people who live, work, and recreate near or on BLM-managed lands deserve a formal voice on public land issues, and their input will enhance our agency’s ability to manage the public lands for multiple uses while conserving resources for future generations.”
Nominations and letters of reference must be received by May 10, 2010 at:
BLM Northwest RAC, Attention: BLM RAC Nomination, 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652.
Nomination forms and additional information are available at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Resources/racs.html, or by contacting David Boyd, BLM Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 876-9008, david_boyd@blm.gov.
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.