History Project Management

							BLM History Project
In 2012, the Bureau of Land Management and a variety of partners including, the Public Lands
Foundation, will celebrate two important anniversaries on behalf of all Americans, creation of
the General Land Office in 1812 and passage of the Homestead Act of 1862.

The BLM will launch a variety of efforts to mark this history, including production of a new
book about the BLM‟s history, a web page with a variety of related materials, a movie/
documentary, and educational materials on the BLM, the public domain and its history.

Opportunity and Challenge - The Story of BLM was originally published by the BLM in 1988.
A new book will be produced to cover the BLM‟s history, primarily from enactment of FLPMA
to the present. The book will include text on major events, legislation and issues the BLM has
faced, and lessons learned. It will also include a variety of „sidebar‟ articles from current and
former employees at all levels of the Bureau, who lived and observed the events and issues.
Attachment 1 provides information and tips on sidebar articles to be included in the book.

Primary Audiences for Opportunity and Challenge
-                  BLM employees
-                  PLF members
-                  Public land users and groups, associations
-                  Congressional members and staff
-                  Resource Advisory Council members
-                  State and local government employees who work with the BLM
-                  Educational institutions (e.g., high schools, colleges, universities)
-                  Historical societies

The BLM and PLF request that potential contributors provide context to the public lands history
of the General Land Office, as it evolved since 1812 to the modern agency which is the BLM
today. History is much more than a collection of events or the retelling of a story. It‟s built on
personal observations, factual situations, and the surrounding consequences and challenges of the
situation. Your history was also influenced by changes on the land, as the landscape that BLM
managed changes as a result of fire, climate cycles, new technologies and changing
demographics on the western landscape.
In addition to the book, the BLM and PLF are developing guidelines for the recording or the
recalling of these events that will add to the legacy for future public lands scholars and interested
citizens about what has happen in the history of the BLM.
The book will be positive in its tone and its treatment of the BLM, but honest about the issues we
face. We are looking for input from current and retired employees on identifying the most
significant issues and accomplishments the BLM has faced since the 1970s, especially since
FLPMA was passed in 1976.
For example, what are some of the defining moments in your state/program that have shaped the
BLM and helped define our future? Who was involved and what did they do? How were „new‟
programs established in the Bureau and why? How were they implemented?

We need your help in identifying source materials [books, articles, reports and summaries] of
these issues, programs and accomplishments, so that we can cover them in the history!

We‟re also looking for some colorful examples to bring the stories to life – in terms of what it‟s
like working in some of BLM‟s programs or specialties in the field, and how we deal with
controversies. Be sure to identify (send or recommend) articles, summaries or reports that cover
the ideas you submit, and please let him know if you‟d like to write a „sidebar‟ article for the
book or website.
Attachment 1. Sidebar Article Guidelines
An essential part of the history project will be „sidebar articles‟ written by employees and
retirees throughout the Bureau. The articles will provide individual perspectives from
employees at all levels of the BLM. Some will discuss an individual‟s job (e.g., life as a Ranger
in the California Desert). Others will focus on important issues, events and challenges the BLM
is facing (or has faced), as well as accomplishments achieved and lessons learned.
Some of the sidebars will be included in the updated book, Opportunity and Challenge – the
Story of BLM, and most will be posted on a new BLM history web page to help the Bureau
celebrate its rich and diverse history. All employees are welcome to submit sidebars!

Tips for getting your sidebar published in the book or posted on BLM’s History website:
Be positive but be honest: we‟re celebrating the Bureau and its employees! We‟re also discussing
the BLM‟s essential role in managing and protecting our nation‟s public lands for all Americans.
Focus on key issues and accomplishments in your state since FLPMA was enacted in 1976;
however, you may incorporate efforts that began before the Act such as landscape restoration
under the Vale Project, moving forward to related efforts and Healthy Lands in the present.

Describe how you (or your office/program) approached an issue to reach a successful resolution.
Mention lessons learned as a result of the issue/event and its resolution.

If an issue was not fully resolved, provide an analysis looking into why not and lessons learned
from the experience. Judgmental „opinion pieces‟ are not appropriate and will not be accepted.
Include examples of collaborative efforts and partnerships with other agencies, organizations and
industry groups to achieve a common goal. Give some specifics and feel free to provide your
vision on where the BLM is today and where it should be in the future.
Make your article compelling! For example, looking back at an issue you faced, did it become a
„defining moment‟ in your office or program, which allowed the BLM to change and/or improve
its approach to the issue, and did this change result in lasting benefits to the Bureau?
If you are writing about what it‟s like to work in your job in the field, be sure to capture some
colorful examples to bring it to life! If you work with wild horses, what is it really like to be on
the ground working with the horses? What did you see, feel and hear?
Guidelines

Words: 500-800. Longer submissions may be accepted but will likely be edited or shortened to
fit the book, or used solely on the BLM‟s history website. See the previous [1988] version of
Opportunity and Challenge for examples of sidebar articles and treatments of subjects. For
questions about sidebar articles, please call Hans Stuart at 505.954.2018 or email him at
hanson_stuart@blm.gov.



Attachment 2. Ideas for Themes, Topics

FLPMA – BLM‟s organic act … our foundation, our future?
 -                Challenges of full implementation (are we there yet? are we still in program
   ‘silos’?)
 -                The next step: From Multiple-Use Management to Integrated Land
   Management
   (how we look at and implement projects; we can no longer ‘stove-pipe’ management)
       o          2006 „Integrated Forest Management‟
       o          Landscapes, Healthy Lands
       o          Field Offices using GIS to display/use data layers in daily management

Ecosystem Restoration
 -                 Vale Project, moving forward to Healthy Lands (including “ecosystem
    management”)
 -                 Pacific Northwest Issues and Ecosystem Management
        o          1990 spotted owl listed
        o          1996 NW Forest Plan
        o          1999 Interior Columbia River Basin
 -                 Healthy Lands Initiative
        o          Restore New Mexico
        o          Sage Grouse
        o          Great Basin Initiative/cheatgrass

BLM‟s changing workforce, America‟s changing demographics – How BLM is responding
 -               How to make BLM‟s workforce truly reflect America‟s population
 -               Changing publics, changing demands and uses of the public lands?
       o         environmental issues and awareness
       o         Sagebrush rebellion
       o         increase in litigation
       o         multiple use issues, conflicts
       o         balancing uses (grazing and OHV, etc.)

Partnerships – getting things done on the ground
 -                   How and why does BLM form partnerships?
 -                   Results and benefits of partnerships and collaborative approach
 -                   Outreach to communities, organizations, old and „new‟ publics; their
     involvement

Energy needs and land management issues
        o          creation of MMS; new agencies in 2010
        o           traditional energy sources and management issues
        o           renewable energy sources and management issues

Minerals programs – past, present and future … and how to get there
-                  need to flesh out some good examples

Resource programs – past (from the 1970s), present and future
 -                 need to flesh out some good examples – see below

Wildland Fire
-                   Severe fire seasons (2000 to 2003 fire seasons)
       o            Changes in management and planning

Recreation – increased demand - traditional vs. new, increase in OHVs, fees

Wild Horses and Burros – the BLM‟s largest program?
-                 overall growth in program, WHB numbers and costs
-                 gathers, adoptions, long-term holding facilities
-                 Congressional direction, legislation
-                 growth of controversies, future of program

Fluctuating Land Policies
- Retention vs. disposition
- SNPLMA, FLTFA
- Land and Water Conservation Fund – increases, decreases (it‟s „in‟ then out, then in)

Alaska – lots of important stuff – ANILCA, etc.

Note: the above ideas for themes and topics are incomplete – we need your input and ideas!

 -                 Please submit your ideas and input (reference materials) to Hans Stuart at
     the BLM: hanson_stuart@blm.gov or call Hans at 505.954.2018.

Additional Ideas/Themes

Bureauwide „Paradoxes‟ (Sally Wisely)

BLM is the nation‟s oldest and youngest agency
  (Public Domain-1781 and FLPMA-organic act 1976)
BLM is the nation‟s biggest and smallest agency
  (lands and subsurface managed, vs. number of employees)
BLM is one of the nation‟s most important agencies, yet one of America‟s least known agencies
  (BLM has the most issues and the most potential to create impacts, positive and negative)

Other public land paradoxes:
At one point, BLM public lands were the lands no one wanted. Today they‟re lands wanted by
all (conflicts; balancing competing interests among users and conservation)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The BLM is dealing with many of the
same basic issues as when it was created – grazing, minerals, recreation, land adjustments, etc.