BLM Seeks California Desert Advisory Council Nominations
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MORENO VALLEY, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management’s California Desert District is soliciting nominations from the public for five members of its California Desert Advisory Council to serve three-year terms. The council’s 15 members provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on the management of more than 10-million acres of public lands in eight counties of southern California.
As published in the Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations until June 14. Five vacancies are open for the 2019 Call for Nominations, including one vacancy for category one; three vacancies for category two; and one vacancy for category three.
The California Desert District has positions open in the following categories:
• Category One – Representatives of organizations associated with energy/mineral development; federal grazing permit holders; the timber industry; transportation or rights-of-way; off-highway vehicle users; and commercial and developed outdoor recreation.
• Category Two – Representatives of archeological and historic organizations; dispersed recreation users; wild horse and burro organizations; and nationally or regionally-recognized environmental organizations.
• Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; Indian tribes located within or adjacent to the area for which the DAC is organized; academicians employed in natural resource management or natural sciences; employees of a state agency responsible for management of natural resources; and the public at large.
The BLM maintains 38 such advisory committees formally chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Federal Policy and Land Management Act across the West, including the DAC, where most BLM-managed land is located. The DAC meets in formal session two to three times a year throughout the California Desert District. Members serve three-year terms and may be nominated for reappointment for an additional three-year term. Council members serve without compensation other than travel expenses.
The Secretary selects council nominees consistent with the requirements of Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which require nominees appointed to the council be balanced in terms of points of view and representative of the various interests concerned with the management of the public lands within the area for which the council is established.
The diverse membership of each DAC member helps ensure that BLM land managers receive the varying perspectives they need to achieve their mission of managing the public lands for multiple uses.
“The California Desert Advisory Council provides the BLM with vital feedback on current issues, concerns and proposals, and enables us to engage local communities and stakeholders to improve our management of public lands,” said BLM Acting State Director Joe Stout. “Our goal is to ensure the DAC members encompass a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds to guide our work as effectively as possible.”
Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on the DAC. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the DAC has jurisdiction, will be reviewed on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographic area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision-making. All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations, a completed DAC application, and any other information that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications.
Any group or individual may nominate a qualified person based upon education, training and knowledge of the BLM, the California Desert, and the issues involving BLM-administered public lands throughout southern California. Nominations must include letters of support. The nomination form is on the Desert Advisory Council webpage at https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/get-involved-rac-near-you-california-california-desert-district-DAC_Nomination.pdf.
As published in a notice in today’s Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 45 days. For more information on the California Desert Advisory Council, contact Sarah K. Webster, Bureau of Land Management, at 916-978-4622, or email swebster@blm.gov.
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.