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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today presented its prestigious "Making a Difference" National Volunteer Awards for outstanding volunteer service in 2014 on BLM-managed lands. Among the recipients of the award were Ted Brummer, a recreation and visitor services volunteer at the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area outside of the town of Lake Isabella, California.Top BLM leaders, including BLM California State Director Jim Kenna, recognized Brummer and other award winners from across the nation during a national event held via live video teleconference. Kenna and others recognized Ted's contributions at a recognition event held at the BLM's Bakersfield Field Office. Staff at the BLM's headquarters in Washington, D.C. hosted the conference, which connected to six states around the country."Ted represents what it means to be a public servant," said Jim Kenna, BLM California State Director. "His contributions over the past eleven years have not only helped the BLM fulfill its mission to be good stewards of the land, but have made a tremendous impact on the local community and the public."Brummer has been a recreation and visitor services volunteer with the BLM for over a decade. His work focuses on visitor education, trash clean up, historical interpretation, historical resource monitoring, and local history research for the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area. He has made tremendous achievements, particularly in the form of outreach to the communities surrounding Keysville. He has been instrumental in organizing outreach and volunteer events and in establishing partnerships with local organizations including the local historical society, Keepers of the Kern, and other stewardship groups.The annual "Making a Difference" Award recognizes exceptional volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours improving the public lands. Their work ranges from trail repairs, providing environmental education and visitor services to monitoring and habitat restoration.A national panel of BLM specialists and partner representatives selected the award winners from dozens of nominees submitted by BLM state offices. The winners were selected for their exceptional contributions to the conservation and management of public lands. In Fiscal_Year 2014, more than 10,000 volunteers served over 238,000 hours to the BLM in California. That represents $5.3 million worth of service donated to the Bureau. For more information about BLM California's volunteer program, visit https://www.blm.gov/california.