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Secretary Salazar Announces New Appointments to BLM RAC (IF)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the appointment of five new members to Idaho Falls District citizen Resource Advisory Council (RAC), which advise Interior’s Bureau of Land Management on public land issues.
“The BLM’s Resource Advisory Councils help ensure that the management of our public lands and resources are guided by a wide range of perspectives and by the input of citizens and local communities.” said Secretary Salazar. “I welcome our new RAC members and commend them for their service on behalf of America’s public lands. Their input and recommendations will help us restore our treasured landscapes and ensure that we are harnessing the benefits of these lands in a balanced way."
The councils, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in various fields of natural resource use and management, help the bureau carry out its stewardship of 253 million acres of public lands. The agency, which manages more land than any other federal agency, has 24 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located. Each RAC consists of 12 to 15 members with an interest in public land management, such as ranchers, conservationists, outdoor recreationists, tribal officials, state and local government officials, scientists, and others.
“RAC members come from different backgrounds and reflect a wide range of perspectives,” said BLM Idaho State Director Tom Dyer. “Their diversity results in a balanced outlook that the bureau needs as it carries out its multiple-use mission. The BLM is responsible for managing these various uses – such as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production – while conserving the land’s natural, historical, and cultural resources.”
The Idaho Falls RAC has an upcoming meeting on January 19-20, 2010 at the BLM office at 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls Idaho starting at 2 p.m. on the 19th with new member orientation and continuing on the 20th at 8:00 a.m. with regular scheduled business.
Below are the newly appointed members of Idaho Falls District RAC and what they represent.
Dave Farnsworth, Soda Springs – Mining
Victor Phillips, Salmon – Commercial Timber
Kenneth Koller, Idaho Falls – Dispersed Recreation
Otto Higbee, Mackay – Elected Official
Lawrence Fox, Preston – Public-at-Large
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.