BLM Resource Advisory Council adds members

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the appointment of five new members to the Bureau of Land Management's Coeur d'Alene District citizen-based Resource Advisory Council.

The appointees will serve a three-year term and advise the BLM on public lands issues.

"I want to welcome our new and reappointed RAC members and commend them for their commitment to public service," Salazar said. "Their counsel will serve the BLM well as the agency carries out its multiple-use mission."

The newly appointed and reappointed members of the Coeur d'Alene District RAC are:

• Alan Harper, commercial timber industry representative

• Jann Higdem, energy and mineral development representative

• Dan Dinning, elected official representative

• Clifford Swanson, dispersed recreation representative

• Patricia Perry, tribal representative

The RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the BLM carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres - the largest land portfolio of any Federal agency.

The BLM has established 29 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located.

Each RAC consists of 10 to 15 members with an interest in public land management, such as conservationists, outdoor recreationists, ranchers, Tribal officials, state and local government officials, academics and others.

"The diverse membership of RACs results in a balanced outlook that the BLM needs in managing the public lands for current and future generations," said BLM Director Bob Abbey.

Information: Suzanne Endsley, 769-5004