ACTIONS
BLM Publishes Final Regulations on Right-of-Way Fees -- October 31, 2008
The
Bureau of Land Management today announced final regulations that revise the
rental fees it charges companies or individuals for rights-of-way so that these
fees more adequately reflect changes in land values over the past two
decades. The BLM, which is publishing
its regulatory revision in tomorrow’s Federal Register, undertook this rulemaking
effort in accordance with Section 367 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which
directs the Department of the Interior to revise the existing rental fee
schedule for linear rights-of-way to reflect current land values. The BLM published proposed regulations and
solicited public input on this subject in December 2007; the agency received 12
response letters and used these comments extensively in developing the final rule.
The revised rent schedule covers most linear rights-of-way granted under
the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Both laws require the holder of a
right-of-way to pay fair-market value to occupy, use, or traverse public lands
for such facilities as power lines, fiber-optic lines, pipelines, roads, and ditches. The revised rental fee schedule, which would
be phased in by reducing the 2009 per acre rent by 25 percent, would also be
adopted by the U.S. Forest Service for uses on National Forest lands,
consistent with existing practices and as required by the Energy Policy Act. Since 1987, when rental fees for linear
rights-of-way were last updated, there have been substantial changes in public
land values. The result is that the
Federal government may be receiving inadequate compensation for the use of
these lands. The final regulations would
update the fee schedule based on current land values from information published
by the National Agricultural Statistics Service and would adjust these values, whether
up or down, every five years. “The
American taxpayer deserves fair compensation for the use of public lands for
commercial purposes,” said BLM Director Jim Caswell. “This new rule would ensure that the Federal
government receives an adequate return for right-of-way rentals, both now and into the future.” The final set of regulations also contains
provisions not directly related to the rent schedule. These cover such topics as flexible rental
payment periods and reimbursements of processing and monitoring fees for leases
and permits. There are currently more
than 96,000 right-of-way grants on BLM lands, of which about half (48,600) are
subject to rent, generating more than $20 million in revenue in Fiscal Year
2007. Revenue from right-of-way rentals
goes to the Treasury, as required by the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act, along with a share to the states, as required by the Mineral Leasing
Act. The five states generating the most
right-of-way rental receipts (both linear and other rights of way) are Nevada
($4.4 million in Fiscal Year 2007), Wyoming ($4.1 million), California ($3.2 million),
New Mexico ($2.7 million), and Arizona ($1.4 million). The BLM manages more land – 258 million
surface acres – than any other Federal agency.
Most of this public land is 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, and cultural resources
on the public lands.
BLM Executive Personnel Actions – October 17, 2008
Elaine
Zielinski, Arizona State Director, Elena Daly, NLCS Director and Henri Bisson,
Deputy Director are all retiring. Henri
will go to the Department his last month or two to do Alaska work. Linda Rundell New Mexico State Director will
be acting Deputy Director after Thanksgiving and also Acting Director when Jim
Caswell leaves. Elaine Zielinski, Linda
Rundell and Henri Bisson will all receive Presidential Rank Awards. Also, Bob Bennett, Wyoming State Director is
planning to retire.
BLM Employees held at Gun Point – October 10, 2008
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BLM Colorado nets nearly $114 million from Roan
Plateau Lease Sale -- August 17, 2008
What: The total revenue from the August 14 oil and gas lease sale was $113,940,215.50, including a total high bid from The Sellmar Co. DBA SellerSearch of $25,252,000 for a 2,140 acre parcel with a bid of $11,800 per acre. This is the highest revenue BLM lease sale in the lower 48 to date. Who: Observers at the lease sale included environmental groups, representatives from the State of Colorado, numerous print, radio and television media, and BLM employees. Protests have been received from environmental groups, individuals, and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and no leases will be granted until all protests are resolved. Where: BLM Colorado State Office When: August 14, 2008 Background: The BLM was directed by Congress in 1997 to lease the Roan Plateau for oil and gas development "as soon as practicable." BLM Colorado signed two separate records of decision for the Roan Plateau Planning Area, the first in June 2007 and the second in March 2008. After the Certification of the Anvil Points Fund by Secretaries Kempthorne and Bodman on August 8, the State of Colorado will now receive their 49 percent share of these lease sale revenues, following resolution of the protests. Contact: Sally Wisely, Colorado State Director, 303-239-3700
NTC Developing Panels with PLF's Help -- August 13, 2008
As part of NTC's role in telling the BLM story and its history, late in 2007 we engaged an interpretive design contractor to develop a series of panels for NTC that would showcase the evolution of the Bureau and its programs. The Public Lands Foundation and some of the NTC staff assisted us in crafting the message and reviewing the panel designs and content. Southern Custom Exhibit, our fabrication contractor for the panels, will be at NTC on August 26th and 27th to install the interpretive panels. There are seven panels. They will be located in the classroom hallways on the 2nd floor, on the exterior walls of the 1st and 2nd floor, and a large curved panel will be placed at the base of the central stairwell. My thanks to those of you who helped collaborate on the panel's design and content. A special "thank you" goes to Chip Calamaio for serving as the COR on the project and to Randy Hayes of the NOC who helped provide many of the visual resources for the panels. I hope all of you will find the panels informative, an attractive addition to our facility and a subtle reminded of the events and programs that are a part of our BLM legacy. Don Charpio Ed.D., Director
Yahoo News Reports on Fort Stanton Cave -- July 25,2008
I think Snowy River is one of the primo places underground in the world and there's still so much left that we haven't discovered. ... We don't even know how big it is," said Jim Goodbar, a cave specialist with the federal Bureau of Land Management. The survey expedition by members of the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project in early July added several thousand feet to the measurement of the spectacular formation, which is at least four miles long. The explorers who have been following the passage under the rolling hills of southeastern New Mexico say there's still more of Snowy River to be discovered. The few who have walked on the formation say they've seen nothing else like it. Early studies point to its uniqueness: Already, some three dozen species of microbes previously unknown to science have been uncovered. New Mexico's two U.S. senators are pushing for Congress to designate Fort Stanton Cave and Snowy River as a national conservation area. The designation would protect the area from such activities as mining that threaten the water flows that created the cave. It also might generate funding for scientific research. For more information on this cave click on:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080724/ap_on_sc/exploring_snowy_river
Time to Vote for
PLF Motto -- July 15, 2008
PLF Motto Contest Time to Vote
- Deadline July 31, 2008 PLF members and
REMEMBERING BLM Website users get to vote on which proposed motto they like
best.. We ask that you only vote once but you get to vote for the 5 that you
like best. The 5 getting the highest votes will be forwarded to the PLF Board
of Directors who will make the final decision.The winner will be announced and
the prizes awarded at the PLF annual meeting which will be held in Park City,
Utah - Sep 8-13, 2008 Here is how you vote on the website: You may
want to print these instructions and list for your reference.
1 - While you are logged-on to MyFamily.com -- Remembering BLM; Click on E-mail
in the upper right part of the home page.
2 - Click on Compose
3 - In the To: box put PLFMOTTO@myfamily.com
4 - In the Subject box put MOTTO CONTEST
5 - In the big box put your votes for your top 5 choices in the following format:
#1 45
(Example of your #1 choice, the number 45 is from the list)
#2 48
(Example of your #2 choice, the number 48 is from the list)
#3 etc.
#4
#5
6 - Scroll down and Click on Send, Your vote will be registered. Thanks for
participating!
7 - You can click on the MY SITE tab to return to the site front page.
If you choose not to vote on the website, written entries will be accepted in
the same format by mailing them to MOTTO CONTEST c/o Larry Peterson, PO Box
744, Fillmore, UT 84631. Be sure to include you name with your entry. You can
also e-mail your entries to larrypete@usa.net
using the same format.
The entries we have received and will be voting for are:
#1.....Public Land Support & Advocacy; #2.....Pro's Who Care; #3.....Quest for Public Land Excellence; #4.....Utopia Seekers--#5; ...PLF=Public Land Forever !!; #6.....Supporting Good Public Land Management; #7.....The Power of Experience; #8.....Building Legacy & Motivation (BLM); #9.....Bonding Links with Memories (BLM); #10...Bonae Ludi Memoriae --.........(BLM - Good Drama & Memories); #11...Preserve, Protect, Promote our Public Lands; #12...Public Lands ... They ARE Great; #13...Advocacy for good Public Lands Management; #14...Promotes Public Land Conservation; #15...Public Lands Forever; #16...Our Public Heritage; #17...A Living Public Trust; #18...Our Land, Our Heritage; #19...Public Lands - Our Heritage; #20...Overseeing Our Natural Resources; #21...Watching Our Natural Resources; #22...Public Land Echo; #23...Leading The Charge; #24...Voice of Experience; #25...The Future Is A Challange; #26..Future Views With Institutional Memory; #27...Reviews: Past & Present; #28...The Spirit Of The Land; #29...Resource Views: Past & Future; #30...The Power of Experience; #31...The Vital Source For Natural Resources; #32...Public Lands Friends (PLF); #33...Leadership in Conservation; #34...Dialog * Action * Results; #35...Resource Dialog * Action * Results; #36...Dialog * Action * Results; ..........For America's Heritage; #37...Keep your public lands public; #38...Sentry for your public lands; #39...For your public lands; #40...Safeguarding your public lands; #41...Protecting your public lands; #42...An Important Voice in Public Land Management; #43...For Your Public Lands Legacy; #44...For America's Heritage; #45...Public Lands Guardians; #46...Supporting America's Land Legacy; #47...Protecting Public Resources for Future Generations; #48...Protecting Public Resources for the Future; #49...Protecting America's Public Resources; #50...For the Protection & Use of America's Public Resources; #51...Protecting the (Natural?) Resources of the American; ........ People; #52...Monitoring Your Public Lands; #53...Public Hands for Public Lands; #54...Public Lands Guardian; #55...PUBLIC LANDS .........Use Sustainably - Enjoy Responsibily
For PLF members who don't have access to MyFamily-- Remembering BLM email Larry and ask to be included; he will take good care of you! Votes must be received by midnight July 31st!
BLM Places Moratorium on Solar Power --June 27, 2008
DENVER - Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years. The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. But the decision to freeze new solar proposals temporarily, reached late last month, has caused widespread concern in the alternative-energy industry, as fledgling solar companies must wait to see if they can realize their hopes of harnessing power from swaths of sun-baked public land, just as the demand for viable alternative energy is accelerating. "It doesn't make any sense," said Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif. "The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry." Much of the 119 million surface acres of federally administered land in the West is ideal for solar energy, particularly in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California, where sunlight drenches vast, flat desert tracts. Galvanized by the national demand for clean energy development, solar companies have filed more than 130 proposals with the Bureau of Land Management since 2005. They center on the companies' desires to lease public land to build solar plants and then sell the energy to utilities. According to the bureau, the applications, which cover more than one million acres, are for projects that have the potential to power more than 20 million homes. All involve two types of solar plants, concentrating and photovoltaic. Concentrating solar plants use mirrors to direct sunlight toward a synthetic fluid, which powers a steam turbine that produces electricity. Photovoltaic plants use solar panels to convert sunlight into electric energy. Much progress has been made in the development of both types of solar technology in the last few years. Photovoltaic solar projects grew by 48 percent in 2007 compared with 2006. Eleven concentrating solar plants are operational in the United States, and 20 are in various stages of planning or permitting, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The manager of the Bureau of Land Management's environmental impact study, Linda Resseguie, said that many factors must be considered when deciding whether to allow solar projects on the scale being proposed, among them the impact of construction and transmission lines on native vegetation and wildlife. In California, for example, solar developers often hire environmental experts to assess the effects of construction on the desert tortoise and Mojave ground squirrel. Water use can be a factor as well, especially in the parched areas where virtually all of the proposed plants would be built. Concentrating solar plants may require water to condense the steam used to power the turbine. "Reclamation is another big issue," Ms. Resseguie said. "These plants potentially have a 20- to 30-year life span. How to restore that land is a big question for us." Another benefit of the study will be a single set of environmental criteria to weigh future solar proposals, which will ultimately speed the application process, said the assistant Interior Department secretary for land and minerals management, C. Stephen Allred. The land agency's manager of energy policy, Ray Brady, said the moratorium on new applications was necessary to "ensure that we are doing an adequate level of analysis of the impacts." In the meantime, bureau officials emphasized, they will continue processing the more than 130 applications received before May 29, measuring each one's environmental impact. While proponents of solar energy agree on the need for a sweeping environmental study, many believe that the freeze is unwarranted. Some, like Ms. Gordon, whose company has two pending proposals for solar plants on public land, say small solar energy businesses could suffer if they are forced to turn to more expensive private land for development. The industry is already concerned over the fate of federal solar investment tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress renews them. The moratorium, combined with an end to tax credits, would deal a double blow to an industry that, solar advocates say, has experienced significant growth without major environmental problems. "The problem is that this is a very young industry, and the majority of us that are involved are young, struggling, hungry companies," said Lee Wallach of Solel, a solar power company based in California that has filed numerous applications to build on public land and was considering filing more in the next two years. "This is a setback." At a public hearing in Golden, Colo., on Monday, one of a series by the Bureau of Land Management across the West, reaction to the moratorium was mixed. Alex Daue, an outreach coordinator for the Wilderness Society, an environmental conservation group, praised the government for assessing the implications of large-scale solar development. Others warned the bureau against becoming mired in its own bureaucratic processes on solar energy, while parts of the West are already humming with new oil and gas development. Craig Cox, the executive director of the Interwest Energy Alliance, a renewable energy trade group, said he worried that the freeze would "throw a monkey wrench" into the solar energy industry at precisely the wrong time. "I think it's good to have a plan," Mr. Cox said, "but I don't think we need to stop development in its tracks."
Draft Programmatic EIS on Geothemal Energy Development -- June 14, 2008
Southern Utah Land Bill Proposed -- April 11, 2008
From an article by Matt Canham in the Salt Lake Tribune: WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Bennett revived an ambitious land use proposal Wednesday, introducing legislation that would give fast growing Washington County the ability to sell off some government lands while also adding new protections to valuable wilderness. View Full Story (They are still at it. It may happen this time if we do not lodge our individual objections with our Senators. It is S 2834. Write them to day!! George)
The Public Lands Foundation Needs a New Motto -- March 21, 2008
The Public Lands Foundation needs a new motto, a slogan that tells our story. The word “Foundation” in our name does not tell the uninformed what it is PLF does. Our Current motto on our letterhead “For America’s Heritage” comes close to describing what we do and yet it needs to be much more descriptive. To help us adopt a new motto we encourage our members to send us their ideas. The winning suggestion with receive a PLF Life Time Membership (current value-$250) plus $50.00 in cash thanks to Keith Miller if you submit your suggestion through www.myfamily.com. Since our first announcement of the contest last fall we have received several good nominations and we have extended the closing date until July1, 2008. So there is time for you to send your suggestions to Larry Peterson (see below). The words we might use in a new motto are all important. One needs to keep in mind that it is not the words one uses but it is what the people hear when they see or say our motto. Use small words-simplicity counts. Keep it short- four words or less if possible. Use words that draw a picture. So when it comes to effective communications, small beats large, short beats long and plain beats complex and sometimes a visual beats them all. Go to Position Statements, More Information & other headings on this site to learn more of the goals and objective of PLF to help you develop your submission. The rules are simple:
- Think
of your motto and email it to Larry Peterson at our web site www.myfamily.com. If you are not
already signed up contact Larry to receive a password or mail it to him at
PO Box 744, Fillmore, Utah 84631
- Be
sure to include your name and phone number
- Your
motto will be given a number and posted on the Remembering BLM web site
without your name. You can submit as many suggestions as you want.
- Entries
musts be received by Larry by July 1, 2008
- Beginning
on July 15 and going to August 1, all members of myfamily.com will vote on
which motto they like best (no names of the nominator). Voting instructions
will be on the site.
- The
winner will be submitted to the PLF Board of Directors for their approval.
The Board reserves the right to reject all entries.
If your submission is selected as the winner you will receive: A Lifetime Membership to PLF and $50.00 cash. The motto and winner will be announced at the 2008 PLF annual meeting in Park City, Utah
BLM and Forest Service Announce 2008 Grazing Fee - February 8, 2008
The Federal grazing fee for Western public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service will be $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) in 2008, the same level as it was in 2007. The fee, determined by a congressional formula and effective on March 1, applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and more than 8,000 permits administered by the Forest Service. The formula used for calculating the grazing fee, established by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act, has continued under a presidential Executive Order issued in 1986. Under that order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM, and any increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year’s level. An AUM is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. The annually adjusted grazing fee is computed by using a 1966 base value of $1.23 per AUM for livestock grazing on public lands in Western states. The figure is then adjusted according to three factors – current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices, and the cost of livestock production. In effect, the fee rises, falls, or stays the same based on market conditions, with livestock operators paying more when conditions are better and less when conditions have declined. Without the requirement that the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM, this year’s fee would have dropped below one dollar per AUM because of declining beef cattle prices and increased production costs from the previous year. The $1.35 per AUM grazing fee applies to 16 Western states on public lands administered by the BLM and the Forest Service. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Forest Service applies different grazing fees to national grasslands and to lands under its management in the Eastern and Midwestern states and parts of Texas. The national grassland fee will be $1.35 per AUM, down from $1.37 in 2007, and will also take effect March 1. The fee for the Eastern and Midwestern states and parts of Texas will be out later this month. The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land – 258 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages 193 million acres of Federal lands in 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
President's Budget for BLM in FY 2009-- Februry 4, 2008
With a focus on the protection and sustainable development of public land resources, the Administration today requested a $1.002 billion gross budget for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management in Fiscal Year 2009. The FY 2009 budget proposal includes a $10 million increase for the BLM's role in implementing Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne's Healthy Lands Initiative, which supports landscape-level restoration work in key areas across eight Western states. These targeted areas have experienced numerous pressures “ such as population growth, energy development, wildfire, and the spread of weeds“ that affect the health of the land. "Today's budget proposal supports the BLM's commitment to managing for healthy public lands in today's fast-growing, fast-changing West," said BLM Director Jim Caswell. "This funding will enable the BLM to address the key challenges facing our agency in the years ahead." Director Caswell said the BLM's top priorities in 2009 and the coming years are to protect the health of public land resources, including wildlife habitat; to conserve resources in the management units comprising the National Landscape Conservation System, which includes Wilderness Areas and other sensitive resource areas; and to protect natural and cultural resources on public lands affected by illegal immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border. The bureau also will promote America's energy security through environmentally sound development on public lands; deal with increased recreational use of public lands and other impacts resulting from population growth; ensure visitor and employee safety; and maintain working landscapes by ensuring timely renewals of grazing permits and making forest woodland products available for commercial production. Besides the increase requested for BLM's role in the Healthy Lands Initiative, operations funding for the BLM increases by $10.2 million, including funding most of the 2009 fixed costs increases. Other highlights in the Administration's proposed BLM budget for 2009 include the following: An $11.2 million increase in the oil and gas program to continue remediation of the Alaska North Slope legacy wells that pose significant threats to the Arctic environment. An increase of $1 million for continued mitigation of resource damage resulting from illegal immigration and drug smuggling on public lands along the Southwest Border in support of the Safe Borderlands Initiative. This builds on a significant funding increase for Southwest border law enforcement provided in 2008. Stable funding for the wild horse and burro management. A re-direction of some funding to areas experiencing rapid growth, where there is a greater need for the protection of resources from off-highway vehicle impacts. The budget consolidates funding for the National Landscape Conservation System into a line item in the Management of Lands and Resources account and one line item in the Oregon and California Grant Lands account. This presentation will provide greater visibility and transparency to funding for the system of national monuments and other areas of special designation. The 2009 budget includes $22.3 million for the System and maintains $3 million of a $4.9 million increase provided by Congress in 2008. In order to focus on operational funding needs, the budget reduces funding for land acquisition by $4.5 million and construction by $1.9 million. Funding for deferred maintenance is also reduced by $10 million. The proposed $1.002 billion gross budget for BLM represents a net decrease of $5.8 million from the 2008 enacted funding level. The 2009 budget also proposes a cancellation of unobligated balances of $24.7 million, which results in a total net budget of $977.4 million. In the current fiscal year, BLM-managed lands will generate an estimated $5.1 billion in revenue, including royalties from oil and gas leases. The BLM manages more land “ 258 million surface acres “ than any other federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The bureau 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, and cultural resources on the public lands. In a break from past budgets, the Department-wide Wildland Fire Management appropriation “ starting in FY 2009 “ will be reassigned from BLM to the Office of the Secretary. The change will facilitate better fire-management coordination among four Interior agencies (BLM, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs). The BLM's proposed FY2009 budget is online at www.BLM.gov.
BLM Announces Organizational Changes -- January 21, 2008
from BLM's Deputy Director, Henri Bisson: "I am pleased to be able to
announce that the BLM has reached some additional milestones in the Managing
for Excellence Initiative. We have been working over the past year to assess
the proper organizational structure for the Washington Office. The BLM adopted
this new structure
effective Monday, January 21, 2008. Also, a week earlier, on January 14, we
heard from the House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Interior
and the Environment that they accepted the three-tiered organizationalproposals
for Alaska, California, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
These States can now begin implementing their transition plans. Most of the
changes to the Washington Office are not very dramatic, but
there are a few that are likely to impact a large number of people in the
Field. I would like to describe these to you. If you are
interested in all of the details, please see Director's Office Instruction
Memorandum 2008-003 on the Directives web site. First, the National Landscape
Conservation System (NLCS) Office will be expanding its duties. This Office
will be made up of two Divisions. One Division will include the traditional
functions of this Office with oversight responsibilities for National
Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Scenic and Historic Trails, and Wild
and Scenic Rivers.
The Office will also have a new Division, the Division of Education,
Interpretation, and Partnerships. This new Division consolidates
functions and personnel from several functional areas: · Education &
Volunteers Division, formerly part of the Communications
Directorate · Heritage Education, formerly part of the Renewable Resources and
Planning Directorate · Interpretation, formerly part of the Renewable
Resources and Planning Directorate · Tourism/Community Services, formerly part
of the Renewable Resources and Planning Directorate Although this Division will
report to the Director of the NLCS Office, it will serve the entire Bureau.
This new combination of duties for the
NLCS Office will benefit the NLCS and the BLM. A variety of education,
interpretation, and partnership projects can be piloted in NLCS units
and then be used for the entire BLM. There was some discussion early in the
design process of this reorganization to place the Alternative Dispute
Resolution and the Service First programs in the NLCS Office. After further
analysis of the organization we decided to leave these programs where they have
previously been, in the Renewable Resources and Planning Directorate and in the
Business and Fiscal Resources Directorate, respectively.