U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Colorado

Grand Junction Field Office Volunteer Page

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado volunteers build a trail in Gateway Participants in the Workenders Program re-install a fire grate at the North Fruita Desert Campground Members of the West Slope ATV Association install a sign in the North Fruita Desert.

Volunteer and Partnership News | Volunteer/Partner Spotlight | Volunteer Opportunities |Getting Started | Archive

Volunteer and Partnership News

Get Down and Get Dirty with the BLM!

Zach and Kasey Collecting Willows

Come help us restore native vegetation along the Dolores River, south of Gateway. We will harvest and plant willow trees in areas cleared of tamarisk. By volunteering for this project, you will:

· Learn how to identify, cut, transport and plant willows.

· Spend a fun winter day outdoors with other volunteers

· Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Dolores River. Red rocks, riverside plant communities, and maybe even a bald eagle!

This project will take place on Saturday through Tuesday, February 25 – 28. We’ll be working on a ranch a few miles south of Gateway, along Highway 141. The work isn’t too hard, but it will be cold and muddy, so volunteers are expected to wear winter work clothes, wear insulated boots and gloves, and a hat.

Children ages 12 and over, accompanied by a parent, are welcome! For more details, or to register, go to http://www.volunteeroutdoors.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=Opportunities.View&Opportunity_ID=3392 or call (970) 244-3046.

BLM Archaeologist Honored for Creating Volunteer Site Steward Program!

Allisa Leavitt-Reynolds with Associate State Director John Mehloff

Congratulations to BLM Archaeologist Alissa Leavitt- Reynolds!! Alissa was recently awarded the BLM State Director’s Stewardship Award for her work in creating the Grand Junction Cultural Resource Site Stewardship Program. In her congratulatory letter, BLM Colorado State Director Helen Hankins wrote, "Site stewards are an invaluable asset and provide additional eyes and ears in the field for the protection of cultural sites. Your hard work facilitated and contributed to the recruitment of 10 site stewards who have contributed nearly 500 hours to the program. The classroom and field training sessions you designed and conducted have increased the Grand Junction Field Office’s capacity to care for and protect important cultural sites. Your initiative and creativity in establishing this program contributed directly to the BLM Director’s priority of caring for and managing special places."

Alissa received her award from Associate State Director John Mehlhoff on January 10 at a meeting recognizing the accomplishments of Grand Junction Field Office staff. Way to go, Alissa!

Photo caption:

Alissa with Associate State Director John Mehlhoff, after receiving the State Director’s Stewardship Award.

BLM Volunteer/Partner Spotlight

David Livingston, Hilltop Experiential Learning Project (HELP)

Interviewed by Betty Jensen (BLM volunteer) January 5, 2012

If you are looking for David Livingston, you might begin at the Bike Shed on Hilltop’s Bacon campus. David’s desk is tucked away in the corner where it is surrounded by bikes in the midst of repair and their various parts and pieces. (There are cross country skis and boots around, too.) Over his desk is a utilitarian clock that sports the logo of the Trail Crew. Its pick and shovel icons symbolize the crew’s commitment to building and maintaining the trails of Western Colorado’s public lands. Their motto is ‘we dig dirt, so you can too!’ David is the Trail Crew’s leader, which allows him to meld his dedication to working with at-risk youth and his passion for the outdoors.

David did not set out to work with troubled youth, but he always knew he would be involved with bikes and the outdoors. Seventeen years ago, he left his job at an Aspen bike shop to attend school at Mesa State College. He did not get to college; however, he did find another bike shop. Working at that shop changed his life. It was at that shop that David met his future wife and that he made the connection that brought him to Hilltop, a private social services agency that has served Western Colorado for over 60 years, offering services that range from prenatal health care to senior living communities. David began by working with kids a few hours week, and eventually, became the Director of the Residential Youth Services program at Hilltop. The program currently serves twenty-two children, age 12-21, who are in the care of the Colorado Department of Human Services and/or its Division of Youth Service. These kids have been exposed to mountains of challenges in their own lives, and many come from environments that have left them emotionally, socially and physically impacted.

Early in his involvement with the youth program at Hilltop, David realized that getting the kids outdoors would be of great benefit to them. David’s early efforts to engage the youth in learning to maintain bikes and in working to clean and care for Grand Junction’s public areas became more formalized after he contacted BLM’s Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) staff in 2002. By that time, Hilltop’s outdoor youth program had been dubbed the Hilltop Experiential Learning Project (HELP). Over the next six years, the GJFO provided training, educational presentations and project opportunities for a range of outdoor activities to the HELP youth. In turn, the HELP staff and youth contributed over 3,700 hours of volunteer service to BLM projects.

For the last few years, HELP’s Trail Crews have worked on BLM trails twice a week in the spring and summer. In addition to on-the-ground work, the students are presented with a classroom curriculum on trail design, sustainability and basic outdoor ethics. The knowledge and experience gained through these activities fosters a greater appreciation for and stewardship of public lands, in addition to providing much needed work experience. It was the Trail Crew that built Kid’s Loop in the Tabeguache Trail area. In the summer, the kids work on Forest Service lands. They have spent 250 hours rerouting a section of Turkey Flats trail above Glade Park on Piñon Mesa.

Hilltop’s contribution to public lands stewardship through David Livingston’s Trail Crew has been enormous. In addition to volunteering staff and youthlabor for trail work, Hilltop invests in theprogram financiallypaying for tools, vehicle expenses, crew uniformsand on occasion, wages for the kids. David estimates that over the years, Hilltop and the program have contributed $100,000 to trail stewardship in the Grand Junction area. All of this is a result of one man’s belief that troubled kids need to be respected and guided, and that if he could share with them his love of biking and the outdoors, they might find direction in their lives. Oh, and David has some pretty neat trails to ride on Wednesday nights with the Leftovers, an eclectic group of cross country mountain bikers.

Partnerships Critical to Protecting and Preserving Our Public Lands

The Grand Junction Field Office benefits immensely from partnerships with organizations that help us care for our public lands. Our partners are diverse – ranging from the many recreational user groups whose members use these lands on a weekly basis to local businesses that help with the care and feeding of our volunteers. Other important partners are the nonprofit and governmental organizations that offer adult and youth offenders the option of performing alternative community service, such as maintenance or clean-up projects on public lands, rather than spending time in jail. Educational institutions contribute students and academic expertise to the BLM’s work and organizations with conservation goals help us educate the community about conservation. And, these are just a few examples of how our partners help us!

Grand Junction Field Office benefits from volunteer labor and contributions!

In 2011, local individuals and organization contributed 24,291 hours in volunteer and hosted labor, valued at nearly $500,000. Other contributions (in-kind donations and grants) added another $400,000, bringing the total value of volunteer and partnership contributions to $900,000 in 2011!

Volunteer Opportunities

Each year, volunteers contribute thousands of hours of their time and talent to projects throughout the Grand Junction Field Office, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. Many BLM projects and tasks are accomplished only through the efforts and resources provided by our dedicated volunteers and partners. Volunteerism is a great way to get involved in public lands stewardship.

No matter what your background, age, ability, or interest, there are opportunities for you to become a BLM volunteer. You can work individually or as part of a group. Projects range from short-term, one-day adventures to season-long commitments.

Applying and registering for opportunities

Click here and select BLM - Grand Junction under "Agency/Organization" to check out current volunteer opportunities in the Grand Junction area. On this website, managed by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, you may register for opportunities that interest you, or set up a volunteer profile and be notified when opportunities matching your profile are posted.

If you have an idea for a volunteer project, or a way that you might be able to help, please fill out a BLM volunteer application and email it to BLM_CO_GJ_Volunteer_Program@blm.gov.

Typical BLM Volunteer Opportunities

- Trail construction and maintenance

- Wild horse range patrols and horse gathers

- Shooting range maintenance

- Cultural resources data collection and monitoring

- Mountain bike patrol

- Wilderness/Wilderness Study Area patrols

- Tamarisk removal/spraying

- Campground hosts

- Office support

- Recreation facility maintenance

- Adopt-a-Trail

- Trash clean-up

Getting Started

Volunteer Handbook

The BLM has produced an excellent guide explaining the ins and outs of volunteering with the BLM. You can view a copy online or stop by the BLM office and pick up a hard copy if you’d like.

Volunteer Requirements

Volunteer Agreements - All individual BLM volunteers are required to complete and sign a Volunteer Services Agreement. Members of groups volunteering for the BLM may be covered by a group agreement. These agreements are signed by the volunteer or group representative and a BLM official. The form asks for the volunteer’s contact information and describes the volunteer project, duties and supervision. The volunteer agreement also provides tort claim protection and workmen’s compensation benefits for volunteer work-related incidents. Agreements for volunteers under the age of 18 must also have the signature of a parent or guardian. Volunteer agreements are renewed annually.

Background Checks - Some volunteer positions requiring government computer or building access may require a background check.

Safety – Safety is always first! All volunteers are required to have appropriate training and wear the personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to perform their work.

Reporting hours – Volunteers are required to report the hours that they donate to the BLM. In most cases, you’ll be able to report your hours online. This information helps us document the important contribution that volunteers make to public lands stewardship.

Reimbursement - In some cases, temporary housing, a modest daily stipend, and/or vehicle mileage may be available to volunteers. In most cases, the BLM will provide equipment, supplies, and training.

Contacts

For more information about our volunteer program, call Fran Parker, Volunteer and Partnership Coordinator, 970-244-3031 or e-mail afparker@blm.gov.