ST. GEORGE — Every Friday, from October through April, the Bureau of Land Management and its partners host the popular “Brown Bag Lecture” series which provides unique opportunities for members of the public to learn more about the area’s natural resources and public lands. October’s first lecture will be on the topic of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Other speakers include geologists, range specialists, biologists, archaeologists, rangers and other specialists who cover subjects tied to the Arizona Strip and surrounding public lands.

For those who want to learn more before venturing out or are curious about these remote and rugged landscapes, the lectures are an excellent way to bring the resources and related issues to the community’s doorstep.

The lectures, which begin at noon and last one hour, are held at the Interagency Information Center, located at 345 E. Riverside Drive in St. George.

Admission is free, but space is limited for this popular lecture series. Attendees are advised to reserve their free seating early; tickets are available one week prior to each program.

To obtain tickets visit the Interagency Information Center or call 435-688-3200 for more information.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service.

Oct. 7 – Learn about the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

The United States has a unique legal and political relationship with Native American Indian tribes. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to 567 federally-recognized tribes with a service population of about 1.9 million American Indian and Alaska Natives.

Through Indian Affairs programs, tribes improve tribal government infrastructure, community infrastructure, education, job training, and employment opportunities along with other components of long term sustainable development that work to improve the quality of life for their members.

Oct. 14 – Page Ranch with Lisa Michelle Church

Historic Page Ranch, on the remote Pinto Road about 20 miles west of Cedar City, was a busy way station for travelers on the wagon road to California. The ranch was homesteaded in 1860 by Robert Richey and his two wives, and inherited by Richey’s grandson Daniel Page in 1875.   

Page raised a large family while operating a cattle ranch, fruit orchard and boarding house.  Page was also a miner who did well in selling his mining claims, making enough to build a 14-room house and decorating it with furnishings from Chicago. Church will explore the people, stories and mysteries surrounding the 150-year-old ranch.

Oct. 21 – Parashant Night Skies with Physical Scientist Eathan McIntyre

Eathan McIntyre, Physical Scientist with the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument, spearheaded the first BLM Dark Sky Designation in this exceptional National Monument. He will discuss the importance of night skies to wildlife and the human experience along with how night skies are monitored across remote landscapes.

Oct. 28 – Batty for Halloween with Wildlife Biologist Keith Day

Keith Day is a wildlife biologist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, responsible for the southern region non-game bird and mammal programs. Day has been with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ southern region for over 18 years and has been a wildlife professional for 28 years. He will discuss the biology and life history of bats and their niche in the environment along with ongoing research programs in Utah and the U.S.

Registration to attend Brown Bag Lectures

Due to limited seating and high demand, participants must register to attend. Sign up begins one week prior to each program at approximately 1:10 p.m. on each Friday at the conclusion of the program.

Sixty seats are reserved for general admission, with an additional 20 seats for DASIA members. An additional 30-slot waiting list will be made available when the program is oversubscribed. Those on the waiting list will be contacted by telephone when a seat becomes available. Please be at the Public Lands Information Center by 11:45 a.m. to claim free, reserved seats.

Reservations may be made by calling the Public Lands Information Center at 435-688-3200.

About the BLM

The BLM manages more land, 245-million acres, than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700-million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.

The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.

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