Sublette County Commissioner Joel Bousman wins National Award
May 25, 2014
Sublette County Commission Chairman Joel Bousman was awarded the prestigious Dale Sowards Award at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference in Anchorage, Alaska May 21–23, 2014. The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to public lands counties and to draw attention to the public policies they represent.
Commissioner Bousman was recognized by his peers for demonstrating effective leadership at the county, state and national level by identifying issues and offering solutions that bring competing interests to the table. He has worked tirelessly to ensure counties are given a seat at that table with federal agencies.
"Commissioner Bousman is well deserving of this award," said Garfield County Colorado Commissioner John Martin, President of NACo’s Western Interstate Region. "He is hard-working, smart, and solution-oriented. Most of all, he inspires others to be the best advocates for public lands counties that we can be. The people of Sublette County and the State of Wyoming should be proud of the work Joel has done."
Bousman has committed himself to helping federal land managers understand the socioeconomic impacts on western counties when they attempt to develop land use alternatives. He was instrumental in the development of the BLM Cooperating Agency Desk Guide, and was instrumental in the development of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) ten-year national Socioeconomic Strategic Plan. This plan will guide western counties in the collection of meaningful socioeconomic data for use in land use planning.
"Commissioner Bousman’s tireless work to solidify counties as a rightful partner alongside federal land management agencies in the planning process has been noticed by public lands stakeholders across the spectrum," said WCCA Executive Director Pete Obermueller. "He is focused on finding solutions, and has demonstrated the ability to do so time and time again. This award is well deserved, and marks the second year in a row a Wyoming Commissioner has been recognized for outstanding public lands."
The Dale Soward Award is presented in memory of Conejos County, Colorado Commissioner Dale Sowards, who was instrumental in the creation of the Western Interstate Region of the National Association of Counties, and was a long-time advocate for public land counties.
Commissioner Bousman is a fourth generation rancher in Sublette County and is a dedicated public servant. In addition to his role on the Sublette County Commission, he served from 2012-2014 as the Wyoming County Commissioners Association (WCCA) President and currently serves as the Chairman of the WCCA Agriculture, Water, State and Public Lands Committee. He is also active on many county and state committees, task forces and boards related to natural resource issues.
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