BLM Selects Robert Towne as Interim Eugene District Manager
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Portland, Ore. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces Robert Towne as the Interim District Manager for the Eugene District. Robert replaces Ginnie Grilley who held the position of District Manager for nearly 8 years. She retired at the end of March.Over the next 5 months, Robert will provide leadership to completing the Western Oregon Resource Management Plans (RMPs). Towne, who is coming out of retirement to take the post, will also be conducting an assessment on the feasibility of consolidating and restructuring the Eugene and Salem Districts."Robert returns to the BLM with over three decades of experience in natural resources management. His thoughtful leadership and commitment to the local communities we serve will be a cornerstone to his work on the consolidation assessment," said State Director Jerome Perez.Robert is now retired and living in Spokane and has a strong history with the Pacific Northwest. He began his federal career on the Coeur d' Alene National Forest in 1975, and has worked in the Salem, Eugene, and Prineville, Oregon districts of the BLM. His most recent experience with Oregon and Washington was with the Spokane District where in December of 2005, he became the District Manager. In 2010, Robert left the Spokane District to become the Deputy Assistant Director for the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) and Community Partnerships in Washington, DC. Robert holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from the University of Massachusetts.On returning to the Pacific Northwest, Robert said, "Being back in Eugene is like coming home. I'm looking forward to talking with staff in Salem and Eugene about how we can be more efficient with our appropriated funds. And the well-being of our employees is critical to our success of being effective."The Eugene District Manager advises the State Director on public policies and programs within the Eugene District. The District extends from the Pacific Coast into the western slopes of the Cascade Range, encompassing 316,000 acres. More than 200,000 visitors a year come to the Eugene District to sightsee, hike, fish, swim, hunt, picnic, and pursue other recreational activities.
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.