BLM-Utah employee receives national award

SALT LAKE CITY A Bureau of Land Management Utah employee has received a national BLM award.

Rob Sweeten, landscape architect with the BLM-Utah State Office in Salt Lake City, was selected to receive the national BLM employee Making a Difference Award.

The award is presented annually by the BLM to recognize bureau volunteers, whose efforts include trail repair, visitor services, habitat restoration, and many other duties.

Since 2009, Sweeten has mentored six student interns, most of whom began as BLM volunteers. He worked to convert the students to Student Temporary Employment Program status or to a conservation corps intern with the American Conservation Experience youth organization.

The students worked exclusively with Sweeten by assisting with visual inventory work for the Kanab, Monticello, Richfield, and Cedar City field offices and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. By using student volunteers to enter field data into a national database and other projects rather than paying a contractor, the BLM saved $100,000, the bureau said.

Sweeten also speaks at Utah State University and meets with professors to explain the BLM's mission and role, as well as the opportunities available to students.

"Rob embodies the best qualities of a volunteer supervisor, mentor, coach and leader," said state BLM director Juan Palma. "He truly continues to make a difference and is well-deserving of recognition for his ongoing efforts within BLM Utah."

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BLM-Utah employee receives national award