Oh, so many things to be thankful for! This week, we at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) want to share just a few as we gear up for Thanksgiving.

• Volunteers: We couldn’t do the work we do without the selfless work of our volunteers. Each year in the Burns District, volunteers give thousands of hours of service to your local public lands. Yes, thousands of hours dedicated to Harney County! Volunteers offer their time and skills to restore habitats, build and maintain trails, preserve historic structures, provide services to visitors, and much more.

• Our BLM family: Locally, our passionate employees work together in a family-friendly environment to find the best use for our public lands. From interns to those who have spent their career at BLM, our employees are proud civil servants.

• Kids: We love sharing public lands with kids! Our vision for education and youth programs is that young people, engaged from an early age in outdoor learning and recreation on the public lands, become the next generation of conservation stewards and leaders. Public lands encompass millions of acres where young people can pursue healthy recreational activities, spend time with friends and family, nurture their curiosity about plants and animals, and discover clues to our country’s past.

• Partners: Partnerships and inclusion are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands. The BLM has long depended on working with others to enhance public lands and carry out our multiple-use mission. The High Desert Partnership, Adventure Harney, Burns Paiute Tribe, Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, Harney County, and other federal and state agencies are just a few of our valued local partners.

• Public lands: Thanks to our country’s vast amount of public lands, we are able to enjoy quiet moments in serene wilderness areas, bountiful fishing on thousands of miles of rivers and streams, affordable grazing of livestock on healthy rangelands and endless opportunities for adventure. The BLM proudly serves as the steward of 3.8 million acres of public land in Harney County.

• Cultural heritage and paleontology: From petroglyphs detailing Native American life to visible wagon ruts on trails that led to the West, public lands are home to our country’s rich history. We are thankful that we can appreciate those who came before us when we visit cultural resources on public lands. Did you know the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter in Harney County is one of the oldest archaeological sites in the Western Hemisphere? Wow!

• Recreational opportunities: Public lands – like Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert – make the perfect place to go and appreciate America’s Great Outdoors. From mountain biking to horseback riding to hunting to off-roading, BLM-managed public lands offer spectacular backdrops to any outdoor recreational activity.

• Natural resources: We are fortunate to live in place with bountiful natural resources, many of which are found on public lands. The BLM manages three types of habitats to support conservation as we pursue our multiple-use mission: rangelands, forests and wetlands. We develop and implement strategies for healthy native plant communities and soil, air, and water management across all three habitats. These strategies promote working public lands that benefit current and future generations of Americans.

• American traditions: We value our nation’s history and traditions. The BLM was established in 1946, but its roots go back to the years after America’s independence, when this young nation began acquiring additional lands. At first, these lands were used to encourage homesteading and westward migration. The General Land Office was created in 1812 to support this national goal. Today, the BLM operates under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

• Harney County: We are thankful to have an involved and supportive community who values natural resources and the many benefits of public land. Being part of Harney County and positively affecting the people who live here is important to the BLM. We continue to look within our community, recognize perceptions and see what’s important; build relationships and genuine connections; and find ways to contribute. It isn’t enough just to know people—it’s keeping in communication with and aware of each other that gives us the full benefit of support. Thank you Harney County!

This information is provided by your local BLM office. We value the collaboration and communication between the BLM and the people who live here. We hope this information helps you understand the agency, its history, and how our work is genuinely intended to support the well-being and success of this community.