BLM Recognizes Individuals and Organizations at PLC Annual Meeting
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 2019 Rangeland and Sagebrush Steppe Stewardship Awards were presented Thursday during the Public Lands Council (PLC) Annual Meeting in Great Falls, Montana. The awards recognize the effort of individuals and organizations who are dedicated to improving the health and productivity of public rangelands.
Recipients of the 2019 Rangeland Stewardship Award include the Garfield County Conservation District of Montana and Weimer Ranches of Colorado. The Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission received the Sagebrush Steppe Stewardship Award. These recipients were nominated by their local field offices for their unique approach to protecting, restoring, and enhancing rangeland.
“Livestock grazing is crucial to the health of our public lands,” said PLC President Bob Skinner. “As ranchers, we take our job as land managers very seriously, and are consistently looking for ways to improve the health and vitality rangeland ecosystems.”
The awards represent one way the BLM recognizes the contributions of public lands ranchers. Other initiatives, like outcome-based grazing projects, also allow the BLM to work with public lands ranchers to explore a variety of innovative approaches to land management. Projects such as these provide managers and grazing permit holders greater flexibility in the management of permitted livestock while emphasizing ecological, economic and social outcomes in cooperative management of public lands.
“Congratulations to each of the 2019 winners and thank you to BLM for recognizing these folks. The contributions of public lands ranching matter, and it’s wonderful that rangeland improvements and the benefits of livestock grazing on public land is being recognized by our friends in government.
