U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
| Contacts: | Connie Jacobs (406) 622-4020 | |||
Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center Hosts Presentations for Educator Credit
The Bureau of Land Management’s Upper Missouri River Breaks National Interpretive Center (701 7th Street in Fort Benton) will host three presenters in June as part of the facility’s fifth anniversary celebration.
Each presentation has been approved by the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) for educator renewal unit credits.
On Saturday, June 25, at 4 p.m. Missoula author Dorothy Patent will conduct a presentation about the flora and fauna of the Missouri River Breaks region. Patent’s presentation will compare and contrast the natural history of the 1800s with that found today by engaging educators and other Center visitors with information about the region’s native plant and animal life. Patent is the author of numerous books, including “The Buffalo and the Indians: A shared destiny.” She regularly visits Montana classrooms, teaching both students and educators about Montana’s wildlife and cultural history. Visit her website at: http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/index.html.
Also on June 25 (directly following Dorothy Patent’s presentation) her husband Greg Patent will give a presentation about homestead cooking. Life in Montana during the late 1800s and early 1900s differed vastly from life today, and Patent will speak about how settlers survived, how they cooked and baked, and share some of the recipes for bread and other goodies. Greg Patent is also an author who focuses on hands-on activities and interesting information about homesteads in Montana. His publications include “New Frontiers in Western Cooking”, “Montana Cooking”, and “A Baker’s Odyssey”. Learn more at his website at: http://gregpatent.com/index.html.
On Sunday, June 26, Jim Evans, Director of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail Foundation, will speak at 11 a.m. His talk will revolve around mapping the trail and the importance of this piece of American history.
All presentations will be held in the Center’s classroom. Each presentation is free to the public and available for one renewal credit, for a total of three educator renewal credits. OPI paperwork, including the Certificate of Renewal Units, will be available at the Interpretive Center.
For more information on these programs and the renewal credits available, call the Center at 406-622-4000.
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. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument 701 7th Street Fort Benton, MT 59442