Nevada groups honored by the Bureau of Land Management

Five Nevada groups were honored Wednesday with the Bureau of Land Management's highest award.

Newly selected BLM Director Tom Fry presented the Legacy of the Land Award to the Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Intelligence and Civil Engineering squadrons, the Nevada Army National Guard, the Nevada Public Land Livestock Permittees, the Nevada Mining Industry and the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

The conference was hosted by Nevada's congressional delegation.

Fry was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week as BLM director. He had been acting director since November 1998.

On Tuesday, the BLM proposed a new manual and handbook guidance for updating its land-use plans.

The new guidance would encourage greater public participation in the planning process and would affect manuals and handbooks used by BLM managers.

The proposal was announced in the Federal Register on Tuesday and is open to public review through July 10.

People can view the guidance at the BLM's Web site at www.blm.gov

Copies are available at any BLM field office.

To comment write Ted Milesnick, Planning, Assessment and Community Support Group, 1849 C Street, N.W., MS 1050 LS, Washington, D.C. 20240-001 or e-mail www.wo210@blm.gov