The Public Lands Foundation presents the Working Group Members for the BLM Colorado Southwest Resource Advisory Council’s (SWRAC) Tres Rios Master Leasing Plan (MLP) Area of Interest with its 2016 Landscape Stewardship Certificate of Appreciation and this Citation. The Foundation grants this recognition to honor private citizens and organizations that work to advance and sustain community-based stewardship on landscapes that include, in whole or in part, public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

The Working Group members, who were nominated by Montezuma and La Plata County Government officials, partnered with the SWRAC’s oil and gas sub-group in order to host a community involvement process that included five public meetings and the solicitation and consideration of public comments (both written and oral) for the purposes of identifying the key issues and needs for the local communities and interested stakeholders with regard to fluid mineral leasing and development on public lands within the Master Leasing Plan Area of Interest.

The Working Group members devoted substantial amounts of time familiarizing themselves with the technicalities of federal oil and gas leasing and development processes and the specific resource values within the Area of Interest, reviewing public comment letters, and attending and participating in discussions during public meetings.

The Working Group members facilitated and spurred a valuable and informative discussion amongst members of the local communities and interested stakeholders regarding public land management issues within the Area of Interest. And, they also seemed to spark local community interest in becoming educated about and involved with public land management planning actions and decisions.

The information and discussions obtained from local communities’ members during the community involved process will allow the BLM to be better informed of the local communities’ key interests and needs as well as encourage effective stewardship of public resources.

The Public Lands Foundation is pleased to present the Working Group Members for the BLM Colorado Southwest Resource Advisory Council’s Tres Rios Master Leasing Plan Area of Interest with its 2016 Landscape Stewardship Certificate of Appreciation and this Citation for invaluable contributions to the stewardship of America’s public landscapes.

September 15, 2016