Resource Advisory Councils (RACs)

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Resource Advisory Councils (RACs)

• Bureau of Land Management

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FACA-Chartered Committees

• In 1972, Congress passed the Federal Advisory
  Committee Act in order to establish uniform
  standards and procedures for groups advising the
  Federal government.
• Established procedures for tracking costs and
  materials associated with managing FACA-Chartered
  Committees.
• Established rules regarding open meetings, public
  notice of meetings, availability of minutes for
  meetings, and other transparency-related matters.

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Resource Advisory Councils (RACs)

• The BLMs organic legislation, the Federal Land
  Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), established
  many of the BLMs 43 RACs.
• Others RACs were created through Congressional
  action (such as this Committee, the Steens
  Mountain Advisory Council).

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Resource Advisory Councils (RACs)
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Resource Advisory Councils (RACs)

• General Structure
• Consist of local residents who represent a
  variety of backgrounds but who share an interest
  in the public lands.
• Usually
• Commercial/commodity interests
• Environmental/historical groups (including wild
  horse and burro and dispersed recreation) and
• State and local government, Indian tribes, and
  the public at large
• Provide advice and recommendations regarding BLM
  land and resource management to the Designated
  Federal Officer (DFO).

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Resource Advisory Councils (RACs)

• The Rio Grande Natural Area Act stipulates that
  the following organizations will hold seats on
  the Commission
• Colorado State Director of the BLM
• Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
• Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife
• Colorado Division of Water Resources
• Rio Grande Water Conservation District
• 4 members shall represent the general public
• Citizens of the local region
• Have knowledge and experience in the fields of
  interest relating to the preservation and
  restoration, and use of the Natural Area.
• Advise the Secretary of the Interior with respect
  to the Natural Area.

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Rio Grande Natural Area Act Commission

• An Overview

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The Rio Grande Natural Area Act

• Signed into law by President George W. Bush on
  October 12, 2006.
• Public Law 109-337 16 USC 460rrr.
• Establishes
• The Rio Grande Natural Area
• The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission
• Purpose
• Conserve, Restore, and Protect
• Natural, Historic, Cultural, Scientific, Scenic,
  Wildlife, and Recreational resources of the
  Natural Area.

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The Rio Grande Natural Area
Approximately
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Rio Grande Natural Area Act What it is.
There is established the Rio Grande Natural Area
in the State of Colorado to conserve, restore,
and protect the natural, historic, cultural,
scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational
resources of the Natural Area.
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Rio Grande Natural Area Act What it is Not.

• The Act Does Not
• Amend, modify, or conflict with the Rio Grande
  Compact of 1939
• Authorize the regulation of private land
• Authorize the imposition of any mandatory
  streamflow requirements
• Create an expressed or implied Federal reserved
  water right.

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The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission
The Commission shall

• Prepare a Management Plan relating to non-Federal
  land in the Natural Area

• Advise the Secretary of the Interior with respect
  to the Natural Area

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A Management Plan for Non-Federal Lands

• Will take into consideration the Federal, state,
  and local plans in existence on the date of
  enactment of the Act to present a unified
  preservation, restoration, and conservation plan
  for the Natural Area.

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A Management Plan for Non-Federal Lands

• The non-Federal Plan will include
• An inventory of the resources contained in the
  Natural Area, including a list of property in the
  Natural Area that should be preserved, restored,
  managed, developed, maintained, or acquired to
  further the purposes of the Natural Area
• Recommendations for policies for resource
  management, including the use of
  intergovernmental cooperative agreements to
  protect the resources of the Natural Area and
  provide for the solitude, quiet use, and pristine
  natural values of the Natural Area.

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Implementing the RGNA Commissions Plan for
non-Federal Land

• Assist the State of Colorado in preserving State
  land and wildlife within the Natural Area
• Assist the State of Colorado and political
  subdivisions of the State in increasing public
  awareness of, and appreciation for, the natural,
  historic, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and
  recreational resources in the Natural Area
• Encourage political subdivisions of the State of
  Colorado to adopt and implement land use policies
  that are consistent with the management of the
  Natural Area and the management plan
• Encourage and assist private landowners in the
  Natural Area in the implementation of the
  management plan.

• The Commission shall assist the Secretary in
  implementing the management plan by carrying out
  the following activities to preserve and
  interpret the natural, historic, cultural,
  scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational
  resources of the Natural Area.

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Powers of the Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

• Hold Hearings
• Enter Cooperative Agreements
• with State of Colorado or political subdivisions
  of the state, or any person that may affect the
  implementation of the non-Federal management plan
• However, the Commission is specifically barred
  from acquiring real property or interests in real
  property

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The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission Charter
Standard Operating Procedures
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Duties of the Commission

• Provide advice to the Secretary of the Interior
  with respect to the Natural Area.
• Prepare a management plan for the non-Federal
  land within the Natural Area.
• Submit the management plan to the Secretary for
  approval or disapproval.
• The Secretary and the Commission shall cooperate
  to ensure that the management plans relating to
  the management of the Federal and non-Federal
  lands are consistent.

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Designated Federal Officer (DFO)

• The committee reports to the Secretary of the
  Interior through the DFO.
• The DFO is the BLM Front Range District Manager,
  Greg Shoop.
• This position will be delegated to the local BLM
  field manager in the San Luis Valley Public Lands
  Center.

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Responsibilities of the DFO

• Call, attend, and adjourn committee meetings
• Approve agendas
• Maintain required records on costs and
  membership
• Ensure efficient operations and adherence to FACA
  and other applicable laws
• Maintain records for availability to the public
  and
• Provide copies of committee reports to the
  Committee Management Officer for forwarding to
  the Library of Congress.

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Responsibilities of the Commissioners

• Ethics No Commission or subcommittee member
  shall participate in any specific party matter
  including a lease, license, permit, contract,
  claim, agreement, or related litigation with the
  Department in which the member has a direct
  financial interest.
• Members are required to disclose their direct or
  indirect interest in leases, licenses, permits,
  contracts, or claims that involve lands or
  resources administered by the BLM, or in any
  litigation related thereto.

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Responsibilities of the Commissioners

• The term of each member of the commission is 5
  years.
• Members can be terminated if they no longer meet
  the requirements under which they were appointed.
• If a member fails to participate regularly in
  Commission work, the DFO will inform the member
  in writing that his or her service could be
  terminated.

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Electing a Chairperson

• The chairperson works with the DFO to establish
  priorities, identify issues to be addressed,
  determine the level and types of staff and
  financial support required, and serves as the
  focal point for the Commissions membership.
• The FACA stipulates that the Commission will
  elect its chair and vice-chair annually.
• The chairperson will appoint members of
  subcommittees with the concurrence of the DFO.

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Subcommittees

• Subcommittees can be formed for the purposes of
  compiling information or conducting research.
• Minutes and Notes of subcommittee meetings are
  public.
• Meetings of the subcommittee do not need to be
  noticed in the Federal Register.
• Must report directly to the full Committee
  cannot provide advice or work to the agency or
  DFO.