New director, wild-horse discussion to highlight BLM meeting

SALT LAKE CITY — The chance to meet the federal land agency's new state director and a discussion on wild horse and burro strategies are among two highlights of an upcoming meeting of the Bureau of Land Management's Utah Resource Advisory Council.

Set for 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 13, the meeting will be in the fifth-floor monument conference room of the main offices, 440 W. 200 South.

In addition to the introduction of Juan Palma, who took over as director of the Utah BLM in July, the council will also review the history and purpose of "rapid ecoregional assessments," which are landscape evaluations that identify areas that may warrant restoration or conservation. Council members also plan to discuss Gov. Gary Herbert's Balanced Resource Council and do an overview on the Rich County Allotment Consolidation Project. A presentation by The Nature Conservancy will highlight "Energy by Design."

A half-hour public comment period, during which the public may address the council, is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to noon. All meetings are open to the public.

For more information, call Sherry Foot, special programs coordinator, at 801-539-4195.

— Amy Joi O'Donoghue