BLM Announces New Assistant Director for Fire and Aviation
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Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Neil Kornze announced today that Ron Dunton has been selected as the BLM’s new Assistant Director, Fire and Aviation. Dunton has been acting in the position since June 2014.“Ron is one of the BLM’s most seasoned and highly respected fire professionals,” said Director Kornze. “He has a deep knowledge of wildland fire management honed from on-the-ground experience. His outstanding collaborative leadership abilities and passion for the job make him a perfect fit for this position.”Dunton, a native of western Oregon, will continue to be based at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. As Assistant Director, he oversees the BLM’s entire Fire and Aviation program, including policy, operational oversight, and working with partner agencies and other elements of the BLM to ensure the program is carried out effectively and most of all, safely.With a long history in the BLM, including stints overseeing firefighting operations from the air and working on a helicopter-borne firefighting crew, he is well suited to lead the Fire and Aviation program.Prior to his move to the NIFC, Dunton served as the Deputy State Director in Alaska with oversight of Lands and Cadastral. He served previously as the Project Manager and Authorized Officer for the BLM’s Office of Pipeline Monitoring in Alaska, as a Deputy State Director in New Mexico and as a Field Manager in the Socorro Field Office, also in New Mexico. Never straying too far or too long from the fire program, he also served as the Acting Director for the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination in Washington, D.C.; as the National Fire Program Manager at the NIFC; and as a fire supervisor and manager in both Alaska and New Mexico.The NIFC is the nation’s support center for wildland firefighting. Eight different agencies and organizations make up the center – including the BLM, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Business Center, the U.S. Fire Administration, and the National Association of State Foresters.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.