The BLM’s RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the Bureau carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands.  The Bureau, which manages more land than any other Federal agency, has 29 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located.  Each RAC consists of 10 to 15 members with an interest or expertise in public land management, including such individuals as conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics.  The diverse membership of each RAC helps ensure that BLM land managers get the varying perspectives they need to achieve their mission, which is to manage the public lands for multiple uses.

“The advice given to the BLM by these citizen-based Resource Advisory Councils is a vital part of the BLM’s collaborative approach to land management,” said BLM Arizona State Director Ray Suazo.  “Citizen input enhances our agency’s ability to administer and conserve these lands for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations of Americans.”

John Ladd, a local rancher and member of the Cochise County Public Lands Advisory Committee, is also a charter member of the U.S. Border Patrol Advisory Committee, a member of the Arizona Cattle Growers and the Arizona Cattle Growers Border Committee, and an advisor for the Hereford Natural Resource Conservation District.  Mr. Ladd is also an Arizona Game and Fish Habitat Partnership Committee Cooperator.  He has gathered cattle, hunted, fished and camped in all of Cochise County and in most of Arizona.  His knowledge and experiences make him exceptionally well-suited to serve on the Arizona BLM RAC.