Colorado's Land Management Efforts Receive Recognition
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
CRAIG, Colo. - Protecting Colorado's unspoiled wilderness is no small task for the Bureau of Land Management, and the agency's office in northwest Colorado is receiving national recognition for its efforts. The annual Comparative Analysis of Particular Excellence (CAPE) awards reward agencies that promote conservation of wild lands while meeting the demands of population.
According to Soren Jespersen, planning and policy representative for The Wilderness Society, which distributes the award, efforts to protect roadless lands are the offices' biggest contribution.
"Unroaded BLM lands: they're a highly valued resource here in northwest Colorado," he said. "These are the places where we hunt, where we fish, where we go to recreate and seek solitude, and yet they're becoming increasingly rare."
The northwest Colorado field offices received high marks for inventorying lands with wilderness characteristics and creating a website that enables the public to gain a better understanding of what lands have been identified by the BLM.
Throughout the year, The Wilderness Society holds the BLM accountable for its land management responsibilities, but Jespersen said it's important to recognize the positive effect the northwest Colorado offices have had on the state's lands.
"BLM field offices in northwest Colorado have led the way in following through with their obligations to identify and map lands with wilderness characteristics," he declared. "Other field offices in Colorado should follow their lead and do a better and more accurate job."
The Bureau of Land Management is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior that oversees more than 245 million acres of public lands, more land than any other government agency.
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