3040 Biddle Road - Medford, Oregon 97504 - www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford
For release: August 10, 2015
Contact: Contact: Don Ferguson, (541) 618-2220
BLM Announces Appointments to Southwest Oregon Advisory Council
Medford, OR. --- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) welcomes 15 newly appointed members to its
citizen-based Southwest Oregon Resource Advisory Council (RAC) which will advise the BLM on public
land issues.
The Southwest Oregon RAC is composed of members who represent stakeholder interests in public land
management and serves the BLM’s Roseburg and Medford Districts and the Klamath Falls Resource Area
of the Lakeview District.
"By working with federal, state, local and tribal governments, as well as leaders from industry and the
conservation community, the BLM’s Resource Advisory Councils exemplify the Department's
collaborative approach to public land issues,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “I want to welcome our
newly appointed RAC members and salute them for their commitment to public service. Their counsel will
well serve the BLM as we work to ensure the health and productivity of America’s public lands.”
RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the BLM carry out
its nationwide stewardship of 245 million acres – the largest land portfolio of any federal agency. There are
28 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located.
Listed below are the new members of the Southwest Oregon RAC, which will meet in late October 2015 in
Medford, Oregon. While the RAC will advise the BLM on a variety of public land issues, the group’s first
priority will be reviewing and making recommendations on Secure Rural Schools Title II projects.
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Neal Anderson of Jacksonville (nonindustrial private forest land);
Tim Ballard of Roseburg (nonindustrial private forest land);
Kenny Houck of Cave Junction (public at large);
Dick Leever of Klamath Falls (off-highway vehicle users);
George McKinley of Ashland (regional environmental organizations);
Wes Melo of Roseburg (local environmental organizations);
Kelley Minty Morris of Klamath Falls (elected official);
Molly Morison of Talent (national environmental organizations);
Stanley Petrowski of Tiller (public at large);
Daniel Ratty of Medford (organized labor);
Jason Robison of Coquille (tribal interests);
Dave Schott of Medford (commercial timber industry);
Larry Smith of Jacksonville (school teachers or officials);
Joseph Vaile of Ashland (regional environmental organizations);
Stanley Vejtasa of Roseburg (wildlife/hunting organizations and watershed associations).
For more information about the Southwest Oregon RAC, visit www.blm.gov/or/rac/sworrac.php
3040 Biddle Road - Medford, Oregon 97504 - www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford
- BLM The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land,
known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska.
The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's
mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future
generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2014, the BLM generated
$5.2 billion in receipts from public lands.