U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Washington Office
Washington Office
| Contacts: | Mary Tisdale, 202-912-7450 |
BLM Presents Awards for Interpretation and Education
For the fourteenth consecutive year, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recognized outstanding BLM interpreters and environmental educators at the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) National Workshop, held this year in Hartford, Connecticut.
The BLM “Excellence in Interpretation or Environmental Education” Awards, presented at a November 19, 2009, ceremony, recognized outstanding BLM interpreters and educators for their work on employee-conducted programs that enhanced public appreciation and understanding of the natural and cultural riches on our public lands, as well as management issues in the context of the BLM’s multiple-use mission.
The BLM’s 2009 “Excellence” award winners were:
GOLD AWARD winner: Elizabeth “Beth” Paragamian, Wildlife Education Specialist, Coeur d’Alene Field Office, ID, for outstanding wildlife education programs delivered across large areas of Idaho and eastern Washington, in both classroom and outdoor settings.
SILVER AWARD winner: Connie Jacobs, Director, Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center, Ft. Benton, MT, for contributions toward the development of “A Journey Through the Monument,” a middle-school educational program about the Upper Missouri Wild and Scenic River and the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.
SILVER AWARD winner: Gregario “Nick” Teague, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Spokane District Office, WA, for fostering cohesive, citizen-based stewardship in the San Juan Islands and helping to develop the San Juan Islands Experiential Education Outdoor Classroom for island youth.
Each of this year’s winners has done exceptional work with partners and communities to create meaningful interpretive and/or educational experiences and materials for public land users. Winners were selected from a slate of BLM nominees by a review panel comprised of BLM staff and partner-group representatives.
In presenting the awards, BLM Director Bob Abbeystated, “The BLM’s interpretive and educational programs help to increase public appreciation and support of our multiple-use mandate and our management efforts. Public understanding of the balanced uses of numerous and diverse resources is critical to the success of the BLM’s mission.”
The three winning BLM employees were selected by a review panel composed of both BLM staff and representatives from partner organizations, including NAI. BLM “Excellence” nominees were judged on the quality of their work, their ability to involve partners, their effectiveness in enhancing public understanding of cultural and natural resources, their programs’ or products’ accessibility and sensitivity to diverse audiences, and their efforts’ success in helping BLM to accomplish its management goals.
The BLM awards were presented in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service’s “Gifford Pinchot Award,” the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s “Sense of Wonder Award,” the National Park Service’s “Freeman Tilden Award,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “Hiram M. Chittenden Award,” and NAI’s “Master Front-Line Interpreter” and “Master Interpretive Manager” Awards.
The Director also presented a Departmental Honor Award for Superior Service to retiring BLM National Interpretive Lead Amy Galperin for her contributions to BLM programs in support of the Department’s mission.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.