Lifetime Service Award - 2010

Glendon E. Collins
Glendon E. Collins

The Public Lands Foundation grants Glendon E. Collins its Lifetime Service Award for excellence in public land management.  The Foundation provides this Lifetime Service Award annually to members who have continued to enhance the proud tradition of public service.  Glen maintained this tradition throughout his professional career in managing public land resources and providing other services to and for the public.  And, he carried this tradition forward in his position as Deputy Land Commissioner for the State of Arizona, and as a member of the BLM Arizona Resources Advisory Council.

Glen, following your Masters Degree in Geology from Brown University at Providence, Rhode Island in 1953, you began your career working for the Atomic Energy Commission for four years in New Mexico and then joined the Bureau of Land Management in 1957.

You have dedicated your professional career and retirement years to sound resource management of the public lands. You have been recognized as one of the BLM’s leading experts in public land law, and your advice and services were, and continue to be, sought by many.  Your role in the development of the BLM Lands and Realty Training Program for employee career development is but one commendable example.

As Deputy Land Commissioner for the State of Arizona, the initiative you contributed was key to the Federal-State relationship that resulted in adjusting the ownership of millions of acres of land to the mutual benefit of federal and state governments and the general public.  This enthusiasm has carried on where as an active member of the BLM Arizona Resources Advisory Council you are recognized for your informed objective advice, ideas, information, and problem resolution.

Further, special recognition is in order for your PLF Charter membership and all of the support you have given to the Foundation.   Of great importance to PLF and many others is your initiative in helping to establish, and your management and maintenance of, the PLF Archives.  These Archives have a wealth of historical information often sought after by BLM, researchers, students, and other outside interests.  Your efforts to educate new BLM employees about BLM’s history and the PLF at semi-annual Pathways Training courses also deserve recognition.

PLF acknowledges your excellent writing abilities and thanks you for all of the minutes, letters, publications and other documents to which you have contributed on behalf of the Foundation over the past 23 years, in its efforts to support the proper management of the National System of Public Lands.

Glen, you have received numerous special and performance awards during your career, including the Department of the Interior’s Distinguished Service Award.  The PLF is honored to also recognize you with this Lifetime Service Award.