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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Twin Falls District
 
Release Date: 10/26/09
Contacts: Heather Tiel-Nelson, (208) 736-2352    

BLM Honors Hailey Area Ranch with Stewardship Award

TWIN FALLS, ID – In recognition of rangeland management practices on public lands around Hailey, ID, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Bob Abbey recently presented Lava Lake Land and Livestock with the BLM’s 2009 Rangeland Stewardship Award.
 
The ranch holds BLM grazing permits in connection with its sheep operation on 27 grazing allotments within the BLM Shoshone Field Office. Since owners Brian and Kathleen Bean purchased the ranch in 1999, they have worked to implement conservation planning and management actions to improve resource conditions while producing high-quality lambs for an organic meat market.
 
According to Shoshone Field Office Rangeland Management Specialist Codie Martin, “Their vision is to have a working landscape that is rich with healthy wildlife populations and functioning ecosystems, preserving the wild nature of the land while using it carefully.” The operation is adjacent to the Craters of Moon National Monument and Preserve and the foothills of the Pioneer and Boulder White Cloud Mountains. They are realizing their vision by working to restore riparian vegetation along streams, improve sage grouse habitat, support and participate in research projects, promote educational opportunities for visitors to the ranch, and create a vital biological research hub for both scientists and students.
 
Lava Lake has also actively applied adaptive management to their grazing strategies throughout their range.  By continually monitoring the vegetation and habitats, they adjust their management to provide optimal conditions for both vegetation and wildlife.  Martin said, “A prime example of their adaptive management strategies is the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) collars on their sheep.  These GPS collars are used to track the movements and locations of their sheep bands.  This information helps them determine future grazing strategies and adjust management accordingly.”
 
In presenting the award at a recent meeting of the Public Lands Council in Sacramento, California, Director Abbey noted Lava Lake Land and Livestock’s use of innovative monitoring technology and their extensive contributions to the region. 

The Beans continually promote public support for sustainable agriculture and the traditional sheep ranching culture.  Their management efforts have shown tangible and measurable improvement in ecological conditions across more than 500,000 acres of private and public lands. They support research that can be used to guide land management decision and as a result, implement innovative range management practices on their rangelands, including in the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.

The resulting improvements to rangeland conditions “show true dedication to the principles of rangeland stewardship,” Abbey said. “They have gone above and beyond the expected. The BLM is delighted to present then with this award.”

The Director presented two awards at the meeting. The second award, the Rangeland Stewardship Through Collaboration Award, was conferred on several groups and agencies that are part of the Skyline Cooperative Weed Management Area near Price, Utah.

Details about projects on the Lava Lake ranch, along with photos, are available on the BLM Idaho website.

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.
--BLM--
Last updated: 10-30-2009