Impressive results from the 2018 Reclamation Realty and Lands Training

Written by: Emily Quinn

Participants of the 2018 Realty and Lands trainingThe Reclamation Realty and Lands training was held April 24-26, 2018 at the Bureau of Land Management National Training Center in Phoenix, AZ. Reclamation’s Policy and Administration Asset Management Division planned and facilitated the Reclamation-wide training for over 120 Reclamation staff with participation from all of Reclamation’s directorates.

The objective of the training was to promote communication and collaboration throughout Reclamation while providing new and seasoned Reclamation staff with information and the knowledge necessary to address various issues within a vast range of program responsibilities. A few of the areas covered during the training included realty tasks, use authorizations, lands records, geographic information systems, law enforcement, project management, title transfer, and land withdrawals. In all, more than 15 topics and areas of interest were covered throughout the training. The training also included regional breakout sessions to facilitate intra regional coordination.

Many people within Reclamation and the Federal Government contributed to the success of the training, including subject matter experts from Reclamation, BLM, General Services Administration (GSA), and the Appraisal and Valuation Services Office (AVSO). Notably, keynote presentations by Austin Ewell, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, and Lower Colorado Regional leaders, Jaci Gould, Deputy Regional Director, and Leslie Meyers, Phoenix Area Manager, discussed the importance of realty and lands work within the larger context of meeting Reclamation’s mission. Both Jaci and Leslie set the stage for the importance of accomplishing Reclamation’s realty and land management work, and explained the challenges associated with this work. Deputy Assistant Secretary Ewell built upon Jaci and Leslie’s discussions by highlighting current administration priorities of ensuring access to hunting and fishing opportunities, and the Reclamation Title Transfer Act among other important topics.

The feedback from the training was overwhelmingly positive and demonstrated a clear need for the Asset Management Division to continue facilitating future trainings. The 2018 training will serve as a starting point to establish Reclamation-wide, Regional, and Area Office training to help address many of the complex issues inherent within Reclamation’s lands and realty program. The training will reinvigorate further efforts in maintaining a well informed and educated staff. Reclamation’s Asset Management Division plans to host Reclamation-wide realty and lands training biennially, while the regions will each offer more detailed training opportunities on the opposite years.

Alex Morgan, Great Plains Regional Realty Officer presenting on land interest acquisitions

Published on May 18, 2018