Victoria Barr, BLM

Today's speaker was Victoria Barr from the Farmington Field Office for BLM.  She is an archeologist that moved to Farmington from Oklahoma about 18 months ago.  Farmington Field Office manages approximately 1.4 million acres of surface lands and 3.0 million acres of federal mineral estate.  The workload is coordinated between resources and minerals programs.  BLM works closely with the oil and gas development of surface habitats and to work with industry to develop environmentally sound extraction practices.  Their job as land managers is to strike a balance between competing uses of public lands to meet current needs and needs of future generation.s The BLM's mandate for multiple use of the public lands include development of energy and mineral resources in a manner that conserves the multitude of other resources-natural, cultural and historic-found on public lands.

 

There are 12,000 known archeological sites with the FFO jurisdiction.  68 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including 8 World Heritage Sites.  FFO works with Tribes and State Historic Preservation Office to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.  Sites include remnants of PaleoIndian big game hunters (approx. 10,000 B.P.)  Ancestral Puebloan farmers (200-1300 A.D.), Navajos, Utes, early Hispanics (beginning in the late 1500"s) and EuroAmericans.  Looting and vandalism are being stemmed by citizen volunteer patrols and aggressive prosecution of perpetrators by federal law enforcement.

 

Wildlife management is another arm of BLM.  It maintains and improves wildlife habitat and populations within the San Juan Basin region.  It provides a wide variety of habitat species.  Ensuring the basic necessities to survive are available i.e. food, water, and cover.  BLM works closely with NM Department of Fish and Game.  

 

BLM management of recreation areas include Glade Run Trail System, Dunes Vehicle Recreation Area, Head Canyon Off-road Vehicle Competition Area, Thomas Canyon, Negro Canyon, Carracas Mesa, Navajo Lake Horse Trail, Rock Garden, Pinon Mesa, Angel Peak, Simon Canyon and Alien Run Mountain Bike Trail.  BLM was involved in the recovery of a skull from a dinosaur species that was unveiled at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in 2014. It was a big discovery for paleontologist, Doctor Robert Sullivan, who was working in the Bisiti Wilderness in the San Juan Basin just south of Farmington.  It is called an Ankylousaur. It looks vaguely like an armored alligator.

 

For more information, go to http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/fo/Farmington_Field_Office.html