Swearing in ceremony for new San Luis Valley BLM manager
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MONTE VISTA, Colo. – Melissa Garcia, new Bureau of Land Management San Luis Valley field manager, will be sworn in by BLM Colorado State Director Ruth Welch at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. The swearing in ceremony will take place at the BLM San Luis Valley field office, 1313 East Highway 160 in Monte Vista. The public is invited to attend.
As the San Luis Valley Field Manager, Garcia will oversee the management of 500,000 acres of BLM-administered public lands in Saguache, Rio Grande, Alamosa, and Conejos counties. She will manage a staff of 20 employees.
“Melissa will be a tremendous asset to the San Luis Valley because of her knowledge of local and regional issues, partnership skills, and her proven leadership experience in natural resource management,” said BLM Rocky Mountain District Manager Tom Heinlein.
Garcia comes to Monte Vista from Canon City, where she was the associate district manager in the BLM Rocky Mountain District office. She has 15 years of natural resource management experience with the BLM and US Forest Service in Colorado.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Garcia has roots in the San Luis Valley, having lived and worked at her family’s ranch in Monte Vista as a teenager. She has an A.A.S. degree in aquaculture from Trinidad State Junior College, a B.S. in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a M.S. in zoology and physiology from the University of Wyoming.
“I am looking forward to working closely with the many people and organizations involved in managing the public lands in the San Luis Valley Field Office,” Garcia said. “The Valley is a very special place for me and my family, and I am thrilled to be back.”
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.