Montana State Office
| Contacts: | Mary Apple 406-896-5258 |
New BLM State Director Named
Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey has named Jamie Connell as the agency’s new state director for Montana and the Dakotas.
In naming Connell and two other new state directors, Abbey said, “These three outstanding land managers bring decades of experience, including proven management skills, to their new positions. I’m delighted that they have accepted new professional opportunities.”
Connell was born in Butte and received her B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Montana Tech in 1985. She began her BLM career in 1985 as a petroleum engineer in Miles City. For the past 18 years, Jamie has been a public land manager for the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service in locations across the West, including Great Falls and Malta; Boise, Idaho; and Montrose, Silverthorne, Glenwood Springs, and Grand Junction, all in Colorado. Since February 2009, Connell has served as the BLM’s Northwest Colorado District Manager. She and her husband John enjoy hiking, skiing, canoeing, upland bird hunting, and fly fishing.
Connell will likely report for her new duties in late October/early November. She replaces Gene Terland, who retired in May 2010.
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.
Montana State Office 5001 Southgate Drive Billings, MT 59101