| Contacts: | Amy Krause, (202) 912-7236 | |||
| Twinkle Thompson-Seitts, (202) 208-7301 |
BLM Seeks Nominations to Resource Advisory Councils
The Bureau of Land Management today announced that it is seeking public nominations for open positions on its 29 Resource Advisory Councils (RACs), which advise the BLM on public land issues. As advertised in the Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 45 days.
The BLM’s RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the Bureau carry out its stewardship of more than 245 million acres of public lands. The Bureau, which manages more land than any other Federal agency, has 29 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located. Each RAC consists of 10-15 members with an interest or expertise in public land management, including such individuals as conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics. The diverse membership of each RAC helps ensure that BLM land managers get the varying perspectives they need to achieve their mission, which is to manage the public lands for multiple uses.
“Each of the RACs lend their unique combination of geographic and resource expertise to inform the BLM’s decisions,” said Acting BLM Director Mike Pool. “The members of our RACs help our field offices by acting as sounding boards in all types of resource management issues. They are a tremendous resource for field managers across the West.”
Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on an advisory council. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decisionmaking. All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations; a completed RAC application; and any other information that speaks to the nominee's qualifications.
Each of the 29 RACs has different positions open in the following categories:
- Category One – Public land ranchers and representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, the timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation.
- Category Two – Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historical organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations.
- Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.
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.