Employee from BLM Cottonwood Field Office receives national award
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COTTONWOOD, Idaho – BLM Cottonwood Field Office’s Ryan Turner was recently presented the “Outstanding Contribution to the River Management Society Award” by the River Management Society (RMS) during its symposium in Vancouver, Washington. During the 50th anniversary year celebrating Wild and Scenic Rivers, Turner received the award for his service to the society and leadership of the Northwest Chapter River Ranger Rendezvous. The symposium was attended by river managers from across the United States.
Ryan’s involvement with the RMS began when he earned a year’s membership by winning a wild and scenic rivers photo contest in 2011 while working for the BLM in a seasonal river ranger position. Since then he has given back to the organization through leadership roles with the Northwest Chapter of RMS, serving as secretary in the past and as the current vice president.
In his current full-time, year-round position of Park Ranger (River) on the Cottonwood Field Office, he plays a key role in the oversight and management of the extremely popular Lower Salmon River. The 112 miles of the Lower Salmon is designated as a suitable wild and scenic river, seeing nearly 75,000 visitor user days of self-permitted float trips as well as guided float and fishing trips each year. Turner also assists with management of the Clearwater River in the northern portion of the field office.
Turner graduated from Colorado State University in Natural Resources Recreation with the goal of working in river management. His passion for rivers—the Lower Salmon, in particular— is evident as he works to make each user’s experience on the river a memorable one.
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.