<<Back to 2008 News Releases

Date:  March 2, 2009 Contact:  Mary Apple (406) 896-5258 BLM Seeking Dakotas Resource Advisory Council Nominations The Bureau of Land Management’s Montana/Dakotas State Office is calling for public nominations to five openings on its Dakotas Resource Advisory Council (RAC) this year. The deadline for nominations is April 13, 2009. Individuals may nominate themselves or others to the RAC, which advises the BLM on public land issues. Nominees, who should demonstrate a commitment to collaborative resource decisionmaking, must be residents of the state or states in which the RAC has jurisdiction. The BLM, which has 24 RACs across the West, will evaluate nominees based on their education, training, experience, and their knowledge of the geographical area of the RAC. All nominations must include a letter(s) of reference from the represented interests or organizations, a completed background information nomination form, and any other information that demonstrates the nominee's qualifications. The background information form is available on the internet at www.blm.gov/mt. The RAC has 15 members who serve staggered three-year terms.  Council membership must reflect a balanced representation of the various interests and users of the public lands.  These include persons who represent the following categories: Category 1 - holders of federal grazing permits; energy and mineral development; timber industry; transportation or rights-of-way; off-highway vehicle use; or commercial recreation;            Category 2 – nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations; dispersed recreation; archeological and historic interests; or wild horse and burro groups; and Category 3 - elected state, county or local government; employees of state agencies responsible for management of natural resources; Native American tribes; academicians involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large. The Dakotas RAC has two openings in Category 1, one opening in Category 2, and two openings in Category 3.  Nominations should be sent to either: Lonny Bagley, BLM North Dakota Field Manager, 99 23rd Avenue West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND, 58601 (701) 227-7700 or Marian Atkins, BLM South Dakota Field Manager, 310 Roundup Street, Belle Fourche, SD, 57717  (605) 892-7000.   ###