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Secretary Jewell Appoints Members to Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council

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Bureau of Land Management

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Southwest District Office

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell recently announced the appointment of two local residents to the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council.

“Resource Advisory Councils are a cross section of our partners and stakeholders, embodying the BLM’s collaborative approach to public land issues,” said BLM Colorado State Director, Ruth Welch. “I’m excited to work with our new Dominguez-Escalante NCA Advisory Council members and applaud their commitment to public service.”

The Dominguez-Escalante NCA Advisory Council was established as directed by the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, consisting of 10 members who serve three-year terms to advise the BLM on the development of the NCA’s Resource Management Plan. The council will be working with the BLM on implementation priorities for the Approved RMP.

Below are the newly appointed or newly re-appointed members of the Dominguez-Escalante NCA Advisory Council:

  • Ralph W. Files has been reappointed to represent Montrose County. 
  • Kaye Simonson has been reappointed to represent Mesa County.
  • Oscar T. Massey has been reappointed to represent Federal livestock grazing permit holders.
  • Kathleen “Katie” Steele has been reappointed to represent the interests of stakeholders affected by the planning and management of the Conservation Area.
  • Sherry L. Schenk has been appointed to represent the interests of stakeholders affected by the planning and management of the Conservation Area.
  • William R. Harris II has been reappointed as a member whose background reflects the purposes for which the Conservation Area was established.
  • Tamera J. Minnick, Ph.D. has been reappointed as a member whose background reflects the purposes for which the Conservation Area was established. 
  • Robert H. Janowski, Jr. has been reappointed to represent the interests of stakeholders affected by the planning and management of the Conservation Area.

The council’s next meeting will take place on Jan. 25 from 3-6 p.m. at the Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 N. Palmer St., Delta, Colo.

Encompassing more than 210,000 acres of BLM administered public lands on the western slope of Colorado, the Dominguez-Escalante NCA and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness were designated by congress in the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. Dominguez-Escalante is one of the BLM’s 16 NCAs in the West. In addition to opportunities for multiple types of recreation, the spectacular canyon scenery and dynamic desert stream systems of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, and important cultural resources and wildlife habitats, the Dominguez-Escalante NCA offers outstanding educational and scientific opportunities. NCAs are part of the BLM’s National Conservation Lands, a unique network of special places that serve as scenic showcases for the conservation, protection, and restoration elements of BLM’s multiple use mission. These treasured landscapes make up more than 27 million of the 253 million total acres of public lands managed by the BLM in the western United States.

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.