The Bureau of Land Management recognized two Moab volunteers as winners of the 2018 “Making a Difference” National Volunteer Awards on May 23.
Sandra and Geoff Freethey won the Lifetime Achievement award for volunteer work done with the Moab Field Office.
These awards acknowledge the winners’ exceptional volunteer service on BLM-managed public lands in 2017. This year’s awardees were honored during a ceremony that connected winners across the country via video teleconferences at BLM offices in several states and in Washington, D.C.
“Through the years, volunteers on our public lands have ensured that Teddy Roosevelt’s ideal — the American conservation ethic — would endure,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “The BLM volunteers being celebrated today are champions of this conservation ethic, and it is an honor to recognize them for their extraordinary efforts.”
In 2017, more than 28,000 volunteers contributed nearly 1 million hours of service valued at close to $23 million. The annual “Making a Difference” Award recognizes exceptional volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours improving the public lands.
The volunteers have helped the BLM monitor trails, manage wild horses, keep campers safe, and provide environmental education, interpretation and other visitor services.
A national panel of BLM specialists and partner organization representatives selected the winners for their contributions to conservation and management of public lands.
Volunteers ‘Making a Difference’ at Moab Field Office
