ST. GEORGE – Public nominations are being accepted for the Bureau of Land Management Utah Resource Advisory Council. The BLM will be filling four positions for members whose terms expire on Jan. 12, 2014.
Utah residents interested in the management and conservation of public lands have an opportunity to become directly involved through participation on the RAC. The BLM will consider nominations through June 28, 2013.
The BLM Resource Advisory Council
The BLM RACs are composed of citizens who are chosen from throughout the state for their expertise in natural resources issues to help the BLM carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands.
The Utah RAC consists of 15 members with a keen interest in public land management, including conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics. The diverse membership of the RAC is aimed at achieving the balanced outlook the BLM needs for its multiple-use mission.
RAC members serve part-time and can live anywhere in the state
The time commitment is part-time and does not replace or typically conflict with members’ own full-time occupation.
Special Programs Coordinator Sherry Foot said that the RAC generally has three or four meetings a year, each of which may last one-two days. Meetings are not necessarily held in Salt Lake City, often they will be held at a specific location within Utah depending upon the subject matter.
Foot said that meetings are sometimes held by conference call, email or otherwise and sometimes held in subgroups as members take on a specific task. Where one is resident within the state should not pose a limitation on their ability to serve.
Members are reimbursed for travel expenses, they are not paid a salary.
Service valued
“I value the advice given to the BLM by these citizen-based Resource Advisory Councils,” BLM-Utah State Director Juan Palma said. “The people who use and enjoy BLM-managed lands deserve a formal voice on public land issues. Their input enhances our agency’s ability to administer and conserve these lands for current and future generations of Americans.”
Nomination, application and selection process
Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on the advisory council. Nominees, who must be Utah residents, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical 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 RAC application form; and
- Any other information that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications.
The four positions open on the Utah RAC are in the following categories:
- Two positions in Category One – Public land ranchers and representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, the timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation.
- One position in Category Two – Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historical organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations.
- One position in Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.
The BLM consults with the Governor’s Office before forwarding its recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior for a final decision.
Resources
Obtain nomination application from: BLM online.
Submit nomination applications by: June 28, 2013
Submit applications to: Sherry Foot, Special Programs Coordinator, BLM, Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101.
Contact: Sherry Foot – Telephone 801-539-4195 / Fax 801-539-4013 / Email [email protected].
BLM: on Twitter @BLMUtah
BLM-Utah address: 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1345
About the BLM
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.
Submitted in part by BLM Utah.
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