Elizabeth Harris | Freelance Writer


Articles





The BLM Daily



BLM Colorado and the Museum of Western Colorado sponsor educational kids' camp



We all know how important it is to support youth and the under-served in our communities. With a grant from the Department of the Interior, the Museum of Western Colorado and the BLM Colorado Grand Junction Field Office teamed up to bring the Archaeology and Paleontology Kids’ Day Camp to these important members of the community. This event provided students with access to BLM museum collections and educational experiences that foster stewardship on public lands and inspire interest in sciences like geology and archaeology.





The MWC is a federal repository for the BLM, so artifacts and paleontological materials collected from BLM public lands are sent to the museum and stored there for research and display. This unique partnership and the generous grant from DOI enabled the BLM to organize two three-day camps for School District 51 in Colorado. District 51 was instrumental in providing resources for participating students, organizing teachers and providing lunches for the students. This year’s spring break camp sold out to 30 students from 12 elementary schools throughout Grand Valley within four hours of registration opening.​





The first of these camps, held March 23-25 over District 51’s spring break, included behind-the-scenes tours to MWC’s network of museums to view BLM archaeological and paleontological collections. The camp also included an outdoor component, visiting the BLM’s “living” museum. Students learned about proper collection and care of archaeological and paleontological collections, both in the field and in the museum laboratories. The Dinosaur Journey Museum and the Museum of the West hosted indoor classes as well, providing even more diverse opportunities for these students.





Massive community interest in future events of this kind prompted the planning of additional fall break camps. These opportunities should allow for up to 60 students to attend. The Grand Junction Field Office and MWC hope for these camps to continue for many years to come. Through programs like this, we can educate a future generation to appreciate and care for our public lands.


Story by Elizabeth Harris; Photos by Chris Joyner





The BLM Daily



BLM Colorado's Roy Smith receives Outstanding Public Lands Professional Award



On Sept. 8, 2014, the BLM Colorado State Director Ruth Welch and the Public Lands Foundation presented the Outstanding Public Lands Professional Award to BLM employee Roy Smith.


Roy works as a water rights specialist for BLM Colorado and has focused on significantly improving the BLM's ability to manage and protect water resources. BLM Resource Group Supervisor, Bruce Rittenhouse, nominated Roy for the award, saying, "I have supervised Roy for the last two years, and his professionalism in light of working at the local, regional and national levels is of the upmost integrity."






Roy has contributed to water management and water rights projects for the BLM since 1992, including his service as the BLM liaison to the Upper Colorado River Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Group. He also contributed to the development of the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Southern Nevada Water Authority Groundwater Development Project. Roy continues to work with stakeholders to improve and develop water protection provisions, including his part in the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009.


Many challenges test BLM Colorado's management of major river corridors and other crucial waterways. Roy's work has contributed to the success of BLM Colorado as well as the Public Lands Foundation in the face of conflicting demands. Those who work with Roy can easily see the passion he has for water resources and all the work he does for BLM Colorado. This is reflected in Bruce Rittenhouse's nomination of Roy Smith when he says, "I cannot think of another employee who is more worthy of receiving this award."


Story by Elizabeth Harris; photo by Renee Garfias





Engaging Youth and Promoting Gender Equality in the National Park Service


From the DRD's Desk: Week of March 6, 2019



Even though winter still seems to have much of the region still in its grip, many folks are ramping up for another challenging spring and summer season in the Intermountain Region. Visitation is up, seasonals are onboarding, and more and more of our IMR staff is heading out to the field.This time of year is also when we see an increase in wildfires across the region, which will no doubt call for added support. We are fortunate to have the ability to promote youth involvement and gender equality in this important aspect of our mission.


Fire crews run by conservation corps organization partners are a great way to simultaneously work on fire mitigation projects and active fires while also engaging the next generation of wildland firefighters. These programs provide youth with real world experience that can potentially lead to careers in wildland fire.


Some programs are showing tremendous leadership in their work to make fire an inclusive career pathway for young people. Take Montana Conservation Corps/Conservation Legacy's Women's Fire Corps, for example. The majority of the inaugural 2017 crew out of this program obtained employment in wildland fire. The Ancestral Lands Veterans Fire Corps out of New Mexico employs young Native veterans to assist in their transition to civilian careers in wildland firefighting. American Conservation Experience and the Student Conservation Association also assembles fire crews each year ready to work on public lands and assist with fire management.


Not only is the National Park Service focused on bringing youth engagement to our fire programs, promoting women in this typically male-dominated field has also become an important priority. In 2017, Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) and Conservation Legacy (CL) partnered with the Bureau of Land Management to host a Women's Fire Crew, which aims to open opportunities to women interested in building job skills and exploring potential careers in wildland firefighting. Participants earn their S212 (Wildland Fire Chainsaws), S130 (Firefighter Training), S190 (Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior), red card, wilderness first aid, and CPR training.


Wildland fire has traditionally been a difficult field for women to enter and advance in (currently 12 percent of BLM, USFS, and NPS firefighters are women, according to recent NFPA statistics), even though women have been involved in firefighting in the U.S. for more than 200 years. While the MCC/CL Women's Fire Crew is hardly the first female wildfire crew, it is an important step in the ongoing effort to balance the gender inequity in wildland fire. The majority of the women exiting the MCC/CL crew have gained employment in wildland fire, which is an important step in attaining that goal.


Wondering what you can do to help? Work with your park's fire team to explore hiring a corps fire crew. This is a great way to get more work done during the season and engage the next generation of wildland firefighters. Another way to help is to jump in yourself, no matter your background with fire, and become a Fire Public Information Officer (PIO). Fire PIOs play essential roles in fire incident command systems through leading and assisting a variety of fire information activities. To learn more about being a Fire PIO, visit InsideNPS for guidance and upcoming training opportunities.


— Rick Frost, DRD Protection, Partnerships and Interpretation





Denver, CO



Elizabeth Harris