My Public Lands
This is an official tumblr for the Bureau of Land Management. Follow the next generation of BLMers as they share their experiences on the public lands. All photos government work unless otherwise noted. Please Note: Reblogs, likes and follows are not...
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(Posthumous) Mark Hesse, BLM Monticello Field Office, Utah, and BLM Front Range District Office, Colorado
Mark Hesse was a visionary and leader in the stewardship of public lands. In the decades he devoted to public lands conservation, he was an outspoken proponent of the need to both protect and enjoy the nation’s magnificent natural landscapes.
In 1989, Mark catalyzed a group of friends and fellow climbers and began building trails and restoring impacted areas in Indian Creek Canyon, an internationally renowned climbing mecca managed by the BLM’s Monticello Field Office. Over the next decade, Mark and his grassroots organization, which eventually became the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI), protected acres of sensitive terrain by closing roads leading into side canyons, established a sustainable trail and camping infrastructure, and raised the awareness of climbers and land owners in the area. Mark and RMFI joined forces with the Monticello Field Office as official partners in 1996. Since that time, RMFI has engaged 16,000 volunteers, who have contributed 200,000 hours to BLM public land stewardship projects. These efforts have provided a value of over $4 million in on-the-ground restoration efforts.
Mark was also instrumental in assisting BLM Colorado in managing two popular Colorado climbing destinations, Shelf Road and Penitente Canyon. In the early 1990s, he met with the BLM in Canon City to discuss the rising popularity of these two areas, and he worked closely with BLM to develop the management plans for these areas. Under Mark’s leadership, RMFI developed a college-accredited education program, Earth Corps, and RMFI also offers internships focusing on environmental leadership, restoration research, outdoor education, and trail and restoration techniques.
Mark was actually more than a visionary, he was also a “work horse” – present at nearly every RMFI sponsored project. He was there moving dirt and rocks – and was usually the last person back to camp. Regrettably, Mark passed away on January 27, 2014, while doing what he was so passionate about: climbing. He leaves a remarkable legacy of service to both the climbing community and the public lands.
Read more about the Annual Making a Difference Volunteer Awards.