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January 21, 2009 Contact:     Sarah Beckwith    307-347-5207 Karla Bird Named BLM Worland Field Office Manager Karla Bird has been selected as the new field manager for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) office in Worland, Wyo. Bird will begin her position in March. "We are very fortunate that Karla Bird will be joining our team in Worland," said Eddie Bateson, manager of the BLM Wind River/Bighorn Basin District, which includes the Worland Field Office. "She brings extensive experience in natural resource management , planning, and overall leadership." Bird began her career with the BLM 31 years ago as a range conservationist in Alturas, Calif. She has since served the BLM in various capacities in Rawlins and Rock Springs, Wyo., Coos Bay, Ore., and Barstow, Calif. In addition, she also worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a natural resources, timber and fire staff officer in Oregon. Bird is currently the acting chief, Division of Planning and NEPA, in BLM's Washington, D.C. office. "I am excited to be returning to Wyoming, a place my husband and I consider home," said Bird. "I have enjoyed living and working previously in Rawlins and Rock Springs and my husband, Frank, was born in Wyoming. We have frequently visited Wyoming since we've moved away—backpacking and fishing in the Absaroka and Wind River Ranges, deer hunting in the Wyoming Range, and visiting family and friends. I look forward to working closely with the people of the Bighorn Basin," she continued. Bird has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Range and Wildlands Science from the University of California, Davis. Karla and Frank spend time hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and gardening together. The BLM manages more land - 258 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. - BLM -