Candidates for the awards include individuals and organizations that, over the past 1-5 years, have demonstrated sustained outstanding leadership, vision, and purpose in contributing to BLM’s efforts and in motivating other citizens and institutions to work together to more effectively manage whole landscapes, including watersheds andplanning or management units upon which people share a common interest. The awards are intended to acknowledge collaborative efforts resulting in improved landscape-scale management representing resolution of conflicts and benefitting a wide spectrum of interests.

The awards can be granted to an individual, a group of individuals, an organization, or a group or organizations that haveperformed to standards warranting the award. More than one award per year may be granted to recognize the variety of work taking place in different locations and circumstances.

There are two categories of award:

Category 1 is for efforts largely driven by volunteers. It is for individuals or for organizations whose involvement is predominately represented by their non-paid membership. It is anticipated that most, but not necessarily all, candidates in this category will not hold a position of formal authority, but they will have dedicated substantial personal time and effort; provided informed input, sustained leadership, vision, and initiative; and acted out of a strong sense of personal commitment. Although Federal funds may be involved in the effort, the emphasis is on the work performed by volunteers. (Keep in mind that the volunteer effort must involve landscape-scale benefits.)

Category 2 is for efforts that are largely driven by agencies, private businesses, NGOs, and/or educational institutions. These efforts often have a volunteer component, but the leadership, dedication, vision, initiative, and funding are largely provided by organizations whose employees are paid for their efforts.

The nominator needs to specify in which category the award should be granted, but PLF reserves the right to consider the award in the other category.

Nominations may be submitted at any time and are welcome from any source (for example, BLM employees and organization units; PLF members; private interest groups associated with various public land issues; local and state government officials). For full consideration, a nominee’s performance must be documented against the following evaluation factors. Candidates not selected for the award in the year nominated may be considered with candidates nominated the following year.

An Awards Committee will evaluate candidates and make selections. Concurrence in the selections will be obtained from the PLF President.

In preparing the nomination, please use these evaluation factors as your outline:

1. Commitment of substantial time and effort towards a BLM landscape program, project or planning effort that helped significantly to carry it forward or to completion.

2. Leadership, vision and purpose, in partnership with BLM, that helped motivate others.

3. Initiative to enhance stewardship of public resources.

4. Effective response, especially by local community organizations and citizens on a cooperative basis, to emerging public resource management challenges on a landscape scale.

5. Other factors that resulted in greater trust, commitment and shared stewardship responsibility with and for BLM among people and institutions.

Read through the Award Information and Criteria and then complete the Word form to nominate people or organizations for the award. Email as an attachment to Dave Mari at dmari@publicland.org.