BLM Press Release – Sept. 30, 2019
Idaho BLM State Office
Contact Krista Berumen, kberumen@blm.gov, 208-373-3826
On Sept. 26, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) honored the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission (IRRC) with the national Sagebrush Steppe Stewardship Award for their participation in rangeland education, public policy formation and commitment to the stewardship of public land managed by the BLM in Idaho.
BLM Idaho State Director John F. Ruhs presented the award to the IRRC during the 2019 Rangeland Stewardship Awards at the Public Lands Council Meeting in Great Falls, Montana.
“BLM is pleased to collaborate with the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission to sustain healthy rangeland. Since nearly half of Idaho is classified as rangeland, it’s important that Idaho citizens have a good understanding of the ecology and management of these public lands,” said Ruhs. “We are proud to present this well-deserved award to our partner.”
The IRRC outreach efforts include Care and Share, a campaign focusing on educating outdoor recreationists about livestock grazing and managing the interaction between the two. Other efforts include development of the Idaho Rangeland Outdoor Adventure Mobile educational trailer, a traveling classroom exhibit on rangeland ecology. The IRRC has also produced more than 50 educational videos for its award-winning “Life on the Range” video series highlighting topics such as: range monitoring, fire suppression, sage grouse habitat, multiple-use land management, post-fire restoration, conservation, recreation and livestock grazing.
The Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission is a state agency whose primary mission is to sustain and enhance Idaho’s rangelands and ranching heritage through public education.
Photo: (Left to right) April Hulet, University of Idaho; Darcy Helmick, Simplot Land & Livestock and IRRC Board Member; Joshua Uriarte, Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation; Gretchen Hyde, IRRC Executive Director and John F. Ruhs, BLM Idaho State Director.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $96 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2017. These activities supported more than 468,000 jobs.
