The USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region is pleased to announce the reopening and extension of the application period and is seeking new members with diverse backgrounds and interests to serve in categories 1 and 3 of the Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee. Prospective applicants in these categories are encouraged to apply. Committee members recommend special projects to be implemented on Forest Service lands with Title II Secure Rural Schools funds. The committee functions under a formal charter in accordance with the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act and is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee is the largest of its kind, representing the following forests in Colorado and Wyoming: Rio Grande, San Juan, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre & Gunnison, Arapaho-Roosevelt, Medicine-Bow-Routt, Pike-San Isabel and White River National, Bighorn, and Shoshone National Forests. The committee consists of 15 people who work in collaboration with natural resource managers and community members to help make project decisions that benefit federal lands and local communities. Serving on the committee provides an opportunity for citizens to have a voice in future management actions. Members volunteer to serve a 4-year term without pay but may be reimbursed for travel expenses.

Projects funded by Title 2 must improve forest health, fish, wildlife, soils, watersheds, or other resources; maintain, de-commission or obliterate roads; improve trails and other infrastructure; or control noxious weeds. Previous projects have included meadow restoration, wildlife habitat improvements, and the installation of Aquatic Organism Passages. The projects must be located on or provide a direct benefit to National Forest lands. The committee is also responsible for monitoring projects and making recommendations for improvements.

Those who are interested in serving on the committee are invited to submit nominations. Final selections will be vetted and approved by the Secretary of Agriculture. Nominees must:

• Be a resident of Colorado or Wyoming; committee members will vote on projects in both states, regardless of their state of residency;
• Provide a cover letter stating why they want to serve on the Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee and what they can contribute;
• Provide a resume that shows experience working successfully in a collaborative setting and/or in work related to forest management activities;
• Complete Form AD-755, Advisory Committee or Research and Promotion Background Information. The AD-755 can be obtained at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd674657.pdf
• Identify the interest group they would like to represent and their qualifications to represent that group. Interest groups include members who represent the following:

o    Category One: Energy and mineral development; the commercial timber industry; organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups; developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle use, or commercial recreation; federal grazing or other land permits, or nonindustrial private landowners.

o    Category Two: Nationally recognized environmental organizations; regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; dispersed recreational activities; archaeological and historical interests; or nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, or watershed associations.

o    Category Three: Elected state officials; county or local elected officials; Native American tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the Council is organized; school officials or teachers with knowledge in natural resource management or the natural sciences; representatives of the affected public-at-large; those employed by a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources, land, or water.

Nominations must be received by March 1, 2024. Please email nomination packages to Karley O’Connor at Karley.O’Connor@usda.gov; or mail them to Karley O’Connor at Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, 2250 South Main Street, Delta, CO 81416. You may also contact Karley O’Connor for assistance with the application process.