The USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region is seeking new members with diverse backgrounds and interests to serve on the Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee. Committee members recommend special projects that should 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 Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, Routt, Pike, Roosevelt, San Isabel, Rio Grande, San Juan, and White River National Forests in Colorado and the Medicine Bow, Bighorn, and Shoshone National Forests in Wyoming. 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 a great opportunity for citizens to have a voice in future management actions across the region. Members volunteer to serve a 4-year term without pay, but may be reimbursed for travel expenses.

Projects are funded primarily by Title 2, and 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 in wetland areas, wildlife habitat improvements, and the installation of Aquatic Organism Passages to replace undersized culverts. 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:

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

o    Category Two: Five members who represent 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: Five members who are elected state officials; are county or local elected officials; represent Indian tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the Council is organized; are school officials or teachers with knowledge in natural resource management or the natural sciences; or represent the affected public-at-large and/or are employed by a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources, land or water.

Nominations must be received by December 1, 2023. 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.