Utah BLM To Implement New Organizational Structure

Contact:  Lola Bird, 801-539-4033

Salt Lake City, Utah—January 30, 2008—The Bureau of Land Management’s Utah State Office announces plans to reorganize its statewide structure, with an emphasis on increased customer service and building land use planning capacity.  BLM Utah is adding a district level to its statewide organization.  New district offices are:

• West Desert District (Salt Lake & Fillmore Field Offices), located in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Green River District (Vernal & Price Field Offices), located in Vernal, Utah
• Canyon Country District (Moab & Monticello Offices), located in Moab, Utah
• Color Country District (Cedar City, Kanab, St. George & Richfield Field Offices),  located in Cedar City, Utah

The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument will continue to report directly to the State Director, and their office will continue to be located in Kanab, Utah.  

“This move will allow us to put more critical functions closer to the ground,” according to Selma Sierra, BLM Utah State Director.  “I think the public will appreciate having more resources to help accomplish crucial tasks such as planning – which is really at the heart of our work as the nation’s land managers,” Sierra said. 

Field Offices will remain in their present location.  They will also continue to function as they have in the past, but will have extra assistance and guidance from the district level management.     

The district office structure will:

• Increase BLM’s capacity to work more closely with local cooperators and communities
• Increase land use planning capacity in field offices
• Create better balance and span of control in the management of public lands in Utah
• Create an oversight function between the field offices and the state office