Bureau seeks broad spectrum of nominees to help improve public land management nationwide

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced that it is seeking public nominations for positions on 27 Resource Advisory Committees (RACs) nationwide. These citizen-based committees assist in the development of recommendations that address public land management issues.

The BLM maintains 37 such advisory committees formally chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Federal Policy and Land Management Act (FLPMA) across the West. Of those committees, 31 are RACs and the remainder are site or subject-specific Advisory Councils. Each RAC consists of 10 to 15 members from diverse interests in local communities, and they assist in the development of recommendations that address public land management issues.

“Resource Advisory Committees provide the BLM with vital feedback on current issues, concerns and proposals, and enable us to engage local communities and stakeholders to improve our management of public lands,” said BLM Acting State Director Jose L. Linares. “Our goal is to ensure that the membership of every RAC encompasses a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds to guide our work as effectively as possible.”

The BLM maintains chartered advisory committees as a means of gaining expert advice, ideas, and diverse opinions on issues including land use planning, fire management, off-highway vehicle use, recreation, oil and gas exploration, noxious weed management, grazing issues, and wild horse and burro herd management issues. The committees support the Bureau's commitment to building a shared conservation stewardship legacy in the communities it serves.   

Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on a RAC. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be reviewed based on their training, education, and knowledge of the RAC’s geographic area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision-making. Letters of reference must accompany all nominations from any represented interests or organizations, a completed RAC application, and any other information that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications.

Each of the 27 RACs has different positions open in the following categories:

• Category One – Representatives of organizations associated with energy/mineral development; federal grazing permit holders; the timber industry; transportation or rights-of-way; off-highway vehicles users; and commercial and developed outdoor recreation.
• Category Two – Representatives of archeological and historic organizations; dispersed recreation users; wild horse and burros organizations; and nationally or regionally-recognized environmental organizations. 
• Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; Indian tribes located within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; academicians employed in natural resource management or natural sciences; employees of a state agency responsible for management of natural resources; and the public at large.

As published in a notice in Friday’s Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 45 days (until February 24, 2020).  Requests for more information, nominations and completed applications for RACs should be sent to the appropriate BLM personnel listed below:

Coastal Oregon RAC:

Megan Harper, BLM Coos Bay District Office, 1300 Airport Lane, North Bend, OR 97459, 541-751-4353.

Eastern Washington RAC:

Jeff Clark, BLM Spokane District Office, 1103 North Fancher Road, Spokane, WA 99212, 509-536-1297.

John Day-Snake RAC:

Larisa Bogardus, BLM Vale District Office, 3100 H Street, Baker City, OR 97814, 541-523-1407.

Northwest Oregon RAC:

Jennifer Velez, BLM Northwest Oregon District Office, 1717 Fabry Road SE, Salem, OR 97306, 541-222-9241.

Southeast Oregon RAC:

Lisa McNee, BLM Lakeview District Office, 1301 South G Street, Lakeview, OR 97630, 541-947-6811.

Southwest Oregon RAC

Christina Beslin, BLM Medford District Office, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504, 541-618-2371.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $96 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2017. These activities supported more than 468,000 jobs.