Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the appointment of six new members to Utah’s citizen Resource Advisory Councils, which advise Interior’s Bureau of Land Management on public land issues.
“The BLMs Resource Advisory Councils help ensure that the management of our public lands and resources are guided by a wide range of perspectives and by the input of citizens and local communities,” said Secretary Salazar. “I welcome our new RAC members and commend them for their service on behalf of America’s public lands. Their input and recommendations will help us restore our treasured landscapes and ensure that we are harnessing the benefits of these lands in a balanced way.”
The councils, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in various fields of natural resource use and management, help the bureau carry out its stewardship of 253 million acres of public lands. The agency, which manages more land than any other federal agency, has 24 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located. Each RAC consists of 12-15 members with an interest in public land management, such as ranchers, conservationists, outdoor recreationists, tribal officials, state and local government officials, scientists, and others.
“RAC members come from different backgrounds and reflect a wide range of perspectives,” said BLM Utah State Director, Selma Sierra. “Their diversity results in a balanced outlook that the bureau needs as it carries out its multiple-use mission. The BLM is responsible for managing these various uses – such as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production – while conserving the land’s natural, historical, and cultural resources.”
The newly appointed members of Utah’s RAC are:
• Gary Kofford, elected official, Castle Dale;
• Bill Hopkin, grazing, Woodruff;
• Mike Roberts, environmental, Salt Lake City;
• Ray Bloxham, environmental, Salt Lake City;
• Stuart Sprouse, dispersed recreation, Sandy; and,
• John Malechek, academia, Logan.
Information about upcoming RAC meetings will be announced as soon as it becomes available.
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