State Director, Selma Sierra, welcomes new members to Utah BLM’s RAC

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The Department of the Interior announced appointments of five new members to Utah’s 15-member citizen-based Resource Advisory Council, which advises the Bureau of Land Management on public land issues.
“These new Resource Advisory Council members are to be commended for voluntarily committing their time and knowledge to the stewardship of our public lands,” Sierra said. “Their advice and recommendations will be a substantial contribution to this collaborative effort.”
The BLM’s Resource Advisory Councils (RACs), composed of citizens chosen for the expertise in natural resource issues, help the agency carry out its stewardship of 256 million acres of public lands. The Bureau, which manages more land than any other federal agency, has 24 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located.
The newly appointed members of Utah’s RAC are: Franklin White, representing off-highway-vehicle use, resides in Bountiful; Francis Amendola, representing energy/minerals, resides in Park City; Charles Hawley, representing dispersed recreation, resides in Central Valley; Val Payne, representing State agencies, resides in Salt Lake City; and, Dell LeFevre, representing elected officials, resides in Boulder.
The council members will serve three-year terms that expire September 2012. Information about upcoming RAC meetings will be announced as soon as it becomes available.
The BLM manages more land-256 million acres-than any other federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.