Bureau of Land Management Volunteer Feature

Service First: Working Together In Cañon City, CO

"Service First" is the new innovative initiative that consolidates many programs of both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service. Since the program involves shared personnel, training and services, the role of the volunteer is an integral and significant adjunct to its success. With the combination and expansion of services offered by the agencies, an expanded volunteer program is essential. The reduction in duplicate tasks which is achieved through "Service First" gives the individual volunteer a greater appreciation of his/her role in preserving, protecting and maintaining the public lands. Also the variety of interesting volunteer tasks is greatly increased.

In the Cañon City, Colorado, area there are many highly effective volunteer groups working in the "Service First" program such as the Garden Park Paleontology Society, The Quad Dusters and the Rocky Mountain Back Country Horsemen.
There are a number of additional volunteer opportunities for individuals in the program both in Cañon City and other offices across the state. Volunteers for the BLM's Cañon City office contributed over 95,000 hours at a savings of $1.2 million in 1998.

Experience shows that individual volunteers can make a significant difference. Many former employees have made a great contribution to our programs by returning as volunteers. But one does not need to be a former employee or even know the details of any of the wide range of professional or semiprofessional work that is performed by an agency in order to become a valued volunteer. A simple desire to make a contribution is enough and opportunities are endless. A good volunteer program provides clearly defined responsibilities and interesting jobs that are an achievable challenge. The Bureau of Land Management(BLM)/U.S. Forest Service office in Cañon City, has such a program.

For more information on this volunteer program, please call the BLM/FS office at 719-269-8500.--

By Ray Cox, Royal Gorge Field Office, Service First Volunteer

Submitted by Helene Aarons, BLM State Volunteer Coordinator, Colorado