BLM Earns Three Customer Service Awards
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday the Secretary of the Interior presented the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with three 2016 Federal Customer Service Awards. The awards recognized the Recreation Mapping Project, work by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and Larry R. Primosch for their outstanding professionalism and public service.
The Recreation Mapping initiative improved access to public lands by providing interactive mountain biking maps available online from any device. The interagency NWCG Program Management Unit was recognized for providing leadership to guide more than 30,000 wildland firefighters to increase their efficiency, effectiveness and capability. Mr. Primosch received an award for delivering exceptional service to customers requiring rights-of-way and other permits for activities on public land.
“These BLM programs continue to set a high bar for public service, and we are proud of this accomplishment,” said BLM Deputy Director Steve Ellis.
One of the goals of the Recreation Mapping Project initiative was to provide mountain bikers and others with up-to-date information to improve their visit to the public land. By using crowd-sourced data from partner organizations, the BLM was able to provide geospatial data and promote public outreach and awareness about public lands. Partner organizations include the International Mountain Biking Association, the MTB Project, and the mountain bike community, which helped to produce content through social media to showcase public land biking trails. The BLM is one of the first federal agencies to use this mapping technology for recreational purposes. Receiving the award on behalf of the project team were Kristin Bail, Acting Assistant Director Resources and Planning; Scott Feldhausen, Deputy Division Chief of Recreation and Visitor Services; and Zach Jarrett, Outdoor Recreation Planner for the BLM Oregon state office. The Top 20 mountain bike destination maps are showcased at https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/mountainbike
The NWCG is an interagency group that provides national leadership to develop, maintain, and communicate interagency standards, guidelines, qualifications and training that enable safe wildland fire operations between federal and non-federal entities. NWCG’s collaboratively developed national standards enable over 30,000 firefighters from federal, state, tribal, and local agencies to operate together. Receiving the award for the program were Deb Fleming, NWCG Training Development Program Manager; Paul Schlobohm, NWCG Fire Management Specialist (Branch Coordinator); and Tim Blake, NWCG Fire Management Specialist (Branch Coordinator). All three work in Boise, Idaho, where the unit is headquartered. More information about the NWCG is available at http://www.nwcg.gov.
Larry R. Primosch, a 38-year veteran of the BLM has been known for his exceptional public service. During his 23 years as a Realty Specialist in the Bishop Field Office in California, he has worked on hundreds of projects and his engagement with customers was key to ensuring the protection of multiple cultural sites and conservation areas. Mr. Primosch strives to protect resources while successfully issuing permits for customers in a timely and courteous manner.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell presented the awards at a Fourth of July ceremony at the Main Interior Building in Washington.
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.