| Contacts: | Steven Hall, 303-239-3672 |
John Mehlhoff named BLM Colorado Associate State Director
LAKEWOOD—John Mehlhoff has been named the Bureau of Land Management Colorado Associate State Director. He will start in Colorado in May.
“John brings a wealth of experience to BLM Colorado and will be a welcome addition to our team,” Helen Hankins, BLM Colorado State Director said.
“It’s a privilege to return to Colorado, which has some of the most diverse and spectacular natural resources in the nation,” John said. “I look forward to working with the outstanding BLM Colorado employees along with the many partners at the local and state level.”
Raised on the family homestead in North Dakota, John earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology (Montana Tech). He is a career veteran of BLM, with more than 26 years of service. In his position as Field Manager for the Oklahoma BLM Office in Tulsa, he has management responsibility for a three state region (Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas). Job postings include numerous National Project Teams; Field Manager in Colorado; Legislative Assistant to a U.S. Senator under the Congressional Fellowship program; Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals; Program Lead to BLM's Assistant Director of Energy and Minerals in Washington, D.C.; Platte River Field Office Petroleum Engineer, Wyoming; and Montana State Office Petroleum Engineer.
John is married to Suzanne. They have two daughters, Jessa, 21, and Jade, 19. He enjoys fly fishing, golf, and hunting in his free time.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.