Crook County residents sought for regional public lands committees

CROOK COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Crook County residents are being sought to serve on two regional public lands advisory committees in central and eastern Oregon. The citizen-based councils offer community members an opportunity to bring their experience and perspectives to federal land management discussions.

The open positions involve the Deschutes/Ochoco Resource Advisory Committee and the John Day-Snake Resource Advisory Council. These advisory bodies provide recommendations to federal agencies regarding public lands, proposed projects and regional land use plans.

The Deschutes/Ochoco Resource Advisory Committee operates under the Secure Rural Schools program and functions in conjunction with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The committee advises the Secretary of Agriculture on proposed project recommendations and funding allocations for central Oregon public lands.

The John Day-Snake Resource Advisory Council provides recommendations on public land management to the Bureau of Land Management's Prineville District and Vale District Baker Field Office, as well as the Deschutes, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, Malheur and Ochoco national forests. To be eligible for appointment, applicants must reside in Oregon and demonstrate qualifications through education, training, knowledge or experience.

The Secretary of the Interior appoints members to three-year staggered terms on the 15-member John Day-Snake council, with one-third of the terms expiring each year. The council meets quarterly across various communities within its boundary, typically for two-day sessions. Meetings are open to the public and include public comment periods, with occasional field tours scheduled for specific projects or agenda issues.

Membership on the John Day-Snake council is divided equally among three interest categories. Five positions represent commodity interests, such as grazing permittees, commercial timber, energy and mining, developed recreation or off-highway vehicle groups and transportation and rights-of-way. Five positions represent conservation interests, including environmental organizations, historic and cultural groups, conservation and dispersed non-commercial recreation. The final five positions represent community interests, including state resource agencies, Indian Tribes, natural science academicians, the public-at-large and at least one elected official.

Regular council discussions cover land management plans under the National Environmental Policy Act, recreation fees and land restoration associated with wildfires. Recent topics have also included off-highway recreation management options, John Day River Basin planning and noxious weed control.

Nominations for the Deschutes/Ochoco Resource Advisory Committee are due Nov. 12, 2026.

More information and past meeting minutes can be found here: https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/resource-advisory-council/near-you/oregon-washington/john-day-rac

Application forms for the John Day-Snake council have not yet been released. Interested residents can contact Lisa Clark, Deschutes field manager for the Bureau of Land Management's Prineville District, at 541-416-6700.