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BLM Seeks Nominations to Resource Advisory Councils
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced that it is seeking public nominations for open positions on its 29 Resource Advisory Councils (RACs), which advise the BLM on public land issues. As advertised in the Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 45 days. In Idaho, the BLM is seeking nominees to fill 19 positions on its four District RACs.
The BLM’s RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the Bureau carry out its stewardship of more than 245 million acres of public lands. The Bureau, which manages more land than any other Federal agency, has 29 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located. Each RAC consists of 10-15 members with an interest or expertise in public land management, including such individuals as conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics. The diverse membership of each RAC helps ensure that BLM land managers get the varying perspectives they need to achieve their mission, which is to manage the public lands for multiple uses.
“Each of the RACs lend their unique combination of geographic and resource expertise to inform the BLM’s decisions,” said Acting BLM Director Mike Pool. “The members of our RACs help our field offices by acting as sounding boards in all types of resource management issues. They are a tremendous resource for field managers across the West.”
Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on an advisory council. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, 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 decisionmaking. All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations; a completed RAC application; and any other information that speaks to the nominee's qualifications.
Each of the 29 RACs has different positions open in the following categories:
Category One – Public land ranchers and 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.
In Idaho on the Boise District RAC, representing southwestern Idaho, there are a total of five vacancies: two in Category One, one in Category Two and two in Category Three.
In south-central Idaho’s Twin Falls District, there are a total of five vacancies: one in Category One and two each in Categories Two and Three.
Four nominees are sought for the Coeur d’Alene District RAC representing northern Idaho: two in Category One and one each in Categories Two and Three.
In eastern Idaho, five nominees are sought to serve on the Idaho Falls District RAC. For this committee, there are two vacancies in Category One, two in Category Two and one in Category Three.
Nominations must be received by April 1, 2013, and should be sent to the RAC coordinator in the District for whose RAC a nomination is being made:
Boise District Office
Bureau of Land Management
3948 Development Avenue, Boise, Idaho 83705
Attention: Marsha Buchanan, RAC Coordinator, email mbuchanan@blm.gov, phone (208) 384-3364
Twin Falls District Office
Bureau of Land Management
2536 Kimberly Road
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Attention: Heather Tiel-Nelson, RAC Coordinator, email hnelson@blm.gov, phone (208) 736-2352
Coeur d’Alene District
Bureau of Land Management
3815 Schreiber Way
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815
Attention: Suzanne Endsley, RAC Coordinator, email sendsley@blm.gov, phone (208) 769-5004
Idaho Falls District
Bureau of Land Management
1405 Hollipark Drive
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401
Attention: Sarah Wheeler, RAC Coordinator, email sawheeler@blm.gov, phone (208) 524-7550
To learn more about BLM Idaho RACs and to access the nomination form, visit the BLM Idaho website at: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/get_involved/resource_advisory.html. For more information on specific vacancies in your area, please contact your local BLM RAC coordinator.
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. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.