Arizona Strip District Office
| Contacts: | Rachel Tueller, Public Affairs Officer - 435-688-3303 |
Agencies Launch 2012-2013 Season's Noontime Brown Bag Lecture Series
St. George, Utah—On October 19, 2012 the Bureau of Land Management and its’ partners will recommence the popular Brown Bag Lecture series. The lectures provide unique opportunities for members of the public to learn more about the benefits of the area’s natural resources and public lands. Speakers including geologists, range specialists, biologists, archeologists, rangers and other specialists who will delve more deeply into subjects tied to the Arizona Strip and surrounding public lands. For those who want to learn more before venturing out or are otherwise unable to access some of these remote and rugged landscapes, the lectures are an excellent way to bring the resources and related issues to the community’s doorstep.
The noontime lecture series are hosted at the Interagency Information Center, located at 345 E. Riverside Drive in St. George, Utah. Programs begin at noon and last for one hour. Admission is free, but space is limited for this popular lecture series. Obtain tickets in advance from the Interagency Information Center to reserve a seat.
October/Early November 2012 Brown Bag Schedule
November 2: “Human Trafficking on the Old Spanish Trail” Historians say the greatest lessons history can teach us is to learn from our past. The first lecture celebrating Native American Heritage Month will feature educator Sondra Jones who will reflect on a darker time from the history of the Southwest. Attendees will learn more about an unfortunate time when human merchandise was one of the most profitable commodities transported and traded on the Old Spanish Trail. The trade at that time was lucrative for Spanish and Indian traders, resulted in intertwined cultures, lured non-Indian traders into Indian lands, and incited violence. It was born out of poverty and greed, and was exploited by Indian and non-Indian merchants alike. Jone’s purpose in recounting these tales is to teach strong lessons from the dark chapters of history and provide poignant reminders of the need to respect human rights.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.
Arizona Strip District Office 345 East Riverside Drive St. George, UT 84790