Resource Advisory Council 2007 Call for Nominations DD: 05/30/2007

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
www.blm.gov

February 21, 2007

In Reply Refer To:
1784 (640) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 03/09/2007
Information Bulletin No. 2007-052

To: All State Directors (except ESO, and WY)

From: Director

Subject: Resource Advisory Council 2007 Call for Nominations DD: 05/30/2007

All of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) have members whose terms of appointment expire this August or September. To ensure a timely nomination and selection process, we have developed guidelines for BLM State Office submittal of recommendations to the BLM Washington Office (WO). Once again, a key element will be a "RAC Information Book" (Attachment 1) to consolidate all the necessary information about nominees for each RAC.

Charters
We have already begun the RAC rechartering process in coordination with the General Services Administration, who provides administrative guidance for the management of all Federal Advisory Committees.

New Members
Recruitment of new members for each RAC as the terms expire is essential. Your public outreach efforts will be critical for success in attracting new nominees with new ideas, viewpoints, and representation. For each term expiring this year, you must submit a minimum of two qualified candidates for each vacancy. Council membership shall remain balanced among the following three categories:

· Holders of Federal grazing permits and representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation;

· Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historic organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations; and

· Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives of and employed as academicians involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.

You must ensure that we continue to have a balanced representation of the various interests and users of the public lands.

Call for Nominations
The Washington Office will publish a Bureauwide call for public nominations in the Federal Register for all RACs. The Federal Register notice will provide general information about the RACs, including their purpose, composition, and the procedures for submitting nominations. It will also provide the names of BLM State Office contacts for providing specific information about RAC vacancies and for receiving nominations (see Attachment 2). Your office should also issue media announcements and actively recruit to fill RAC vacancies at open houses or other appropriate forums. The nomination period will be open for 45 days from the publication date of the Federal Register notice.

Citizens may nominate themselves or others and all nominees must be residents of the state(s) for which the RAC is organized. In addition:

· At least one member of each RAC must be an elected official of general purpose government serving the people within the geographic area a RAC represents;

· All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from interest groups or organizations represented;

· Each nominee must submit a completed Background Information Nomination Form; and

· All nominees should have demonstrated a commitment to collaborative resource decisionmaking.

You should evaluate each nominee based on his or her education, training, and experience and knowledge of the issues and the geographical area of the RAC.

Coordination with Governors
Under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Secretary of the Interior is the designated official for appointing RAC members. The Secretary wants you to fully consider all nominees and to ultimately advance those you recommend as most qualified for their selection as RAC members. Coordination with your Governor’s Office is an important step to initiate early in the nomination process.

RAC Information Book
The RAC Information Book will serve as a guide for consolidating all BLM State Office information about RAC nominees and for facilitating Washington Office review. Specifically, the RAC Information Book must include:
a. Your detailed transmittal memorandum, providing the names of your recommended nominees and specific reasons for endorsement, and the names of exiting members;
b. A RAC summary chart showing proposed new, reappointed, and continuing members on each RAC;
c. Individual summary sheets for your principal and alternate RAC nominees, plus completed Background Information Nominations forms, and nomination support letters/documents; and
d. Copies of nomination materials submitted for Other Candidates.

Please refer to the attached prototype RAC Information Book for samples of documents that will help us expedite the nomination and appointment process. We will electronically transmit these documents to your office to facilitate completion of information and electronic transmittal back to us. Our Intergovernmental Group (WO-640) will contact your External Affairs Officers regarding the specifics of these documents.

Timetable for RAC Nominations
To ensure timely review and action on the 2007 RAC nominations at all levels, we have established the following timetable:

2/15/07: The Director (640) publishes in the Federal Register a Bureauwide call for public nominations, with a 45-day period for submitting nominations. State Directors issue media announcements, providing specifics about RAC positions to be filled.

4/02/07: Nomination period closes, as announced in the Federal Register on February 15.

5/30/07: State nomination packages are transmitted electronically and sent by mail to the Intergovernmental Staff (640).

I cannot emphasize strongly enough what effective partners the RACs have been in helping resolve public land issues that affect the West’s quality of life. The nominees that we will soon put forward for the Secretary’s consideration should be of the highest caliber to ensure continuity of these RACs.

You should forward your completed nomination packages to WO-640; MS LSB 406, by May 30, 2007. Should you or your staff have any questions, please contact Karen Slater, WO-640, at (202) 452-0358.

Signed by:
Authenticated by:
James M. Hughes
Robert M. Williams
Acting, Director
Division of IRM Governance,WO-560

2 Attachments
1- Prototype RAC Information Book (13 pp)
2- 2007 Federal Register Notice, Call for Nominations (7 pp)