Prineville BLM welcomes new field manager
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Prineville District Office recently welcomed Jeff Kitchens as the new Deschutes Resource Area Field Manager. The position oversees the management of public lands from northern Klamath County to the BLM lands near The Dalles.
“I am truly excited to take on this wonderful opportunity” says Kitchens, whose 20 years of experience in natural resource management, recreation, and interpretation provide a solid professional foundation. “The Prineville District has some incredible resources and I look very forward to working with the community to ensure their sound management.” Kitchens comes to Prineville from Pompeys Pillar National Monument, a part of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System near Billings, Montana. The last four years Kitchens worked closely with numerous partners to provide a world class historical recreation experience while educating thousands of youth.
In addition to managing employees and programs on the District, Kitchens will play a vital role in building and maintaining communication and partnerships with the public, other agencies, and community groups; something for which he is notably qualified. He strongly believes in the role that the BLM plays as an agency that works for and serves the public. He puts forth the same energy and attention to responding to a phone call from a member of the local community as he applies to developing partnerships for a landscape-level management plan. Kitchens looks forward to the unique challenges of managing land on a district that is so intermixed with private land and other public land. “This checkerboard land pattern,” says Kitchens, “gives us the opportunity to focus on communication and partnering.”
For Jeff, coming to the Prineville District means a return to central Oregon. He worked on the Deschutes National Forest 15 years ago as a seasonal forester. This time, he brings his family with him. As an avid outdoorsman and supporter of public lands, he is already busy making plans for family adventures hiking, camping, and exploring the high desert. When not out exploring, Jeff plans to be involved with his community as a volunteer.
Additional information about the Prineville District is available at: www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville
