BLM announces rangeland stewardship award winners for 2019
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GREAT FALLS, MT. -- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) presented its 2019 Rangeland Stewardship Awards today, which are given in recognition of an individual or group’s commitment to the stewardship of public rangelands and sagebrush steppes under BLM management. This year’s recipients include the Garfield County Conservation District in Montana, the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission and Weimer Ranches of Colorado..
“The BLM is proud to recognize our outstanding partners who have demonstrated their commitment to public lands stewardship,” said William Perry Pendley, BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs. “They are working to ensure healthy public lands for the benefit of current and future generations.”
The awards included:
· The Rangeland Stewardship Award was presented to the Garfield County Conservation District (GCCD), which has supported rangeland health in Garfield for the last 75 years. Recently, they partnered with BLM on a Fire Mitigation Assistance Agreement, critical to protecting structures prior to the Lodgepole Fire of 2017. The GCCD also provides critical support for noxious weed inventories and assisted with hay donations throughout the region following the devastating 2017 wildfire season.
· The Sagebrush Steppe Stewardship Award was presented to the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, which helps students participate in rangeland education and public policy formation. Their outreach efforts include The Care and Share Campaign, which promotes recreational activities involving interaction with livestock grazing, the Idaho Rangeland Outdoor Adventure Mobile, which provides classroom exhibits on rangeland ecology, and an educational video series entitled A Life on the Range.
· The Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award was presented to Weimer Ranches near Nucla, Colorado. The BLM recognized them for their cooperative efforts in ensuring the long-term success of the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation following the Bull Draw Fire in 2018.
The awards were presented by Brian St. George, BLM Deputy Assistant Director for Resources and Planning, at the annual fall meeting of the Public Lands Council, which represents more than 22,000 cattle and sheep producers who hold public lands grazing permits. The council in active partnership with the BLM, the National Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local land management offices to provide food and other resources for the nation.
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.