Secretary Jewell Appoints Two Members to Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council
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Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell recently announced the appointment of two local residents to the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council.
“By working with federal, state, local and tribal governments, as well as leaders from industry and the conservation community, the BLM’s Advisory Councils exemplify the Department’s collaborative approach to public land issues, said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “I want to welcome our newly appointed Advisory Council members and salute them for their commitment to public service. Their counsel will well serve the BLM as we work to ensure the health and productivity of America’s public lands.”
The council consists of 10 members who will serve three-year terms advising the BLM on the development of a long-range management plan for the Dominguez-Escalante NCA. Craig Grother, a wildlife biologist from Norwood, is new to the council, and Delta County Commissioner Doug Atchley from Delta was reappointed for a second term.
The council meets one to four times per year. Dates, times and locations of all meetings are posted on the BLM Dominguez-Escalante NCA website at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/denca.html.
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.