§460nnn–51 Establishment of Advisory Council

Summary

Creates the Steens Mountain Advisory Council to give the Secretary advice on running the Cooperative Management and Protection Area and to help carry out cooperative management. The Secretary picks 12 voting members from people nominated by local and state groups (like the Harney County court, the Governor of Oregon, the Burns Paiute Tribe, and the Oregon BLM State Director). The members include a private landowner; two federal grazing permittees; someone interested in fish and fishing; a Burns Paiute Tribe member; two environmental representatives (one statewide, one local); people who do dispersed recreation, mechanized or consumptive recreation, and commercial/recreational operations; a wild horse expert; and a statewide representative with no financial interest. The Secretary must check with each community of interest to make sure nominees have that community’s support. Members serve three-year terms. The first group is staggered so four members serve one year and four serve two years. Members can be reappointed and any vacancy is filled the same way as the original appointment. The council elects its own chair and makes its own rules. Members are not paid but are reimbursed for reasonable expenses. The Secretary must give administrative help and name a BLM officer as liaison, and must appoint one State government liaison nominated by the Governor. The council must follow the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and chapter 10 of title 5.