The Bureau of Land Management’s 2021 INSPIRE Award Announcement of Winner
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
United States
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506
https://www.blm.gov
November 17, 2021
In Reply Refer To:
1115, 8362 (HQ-420) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 12/01/2021
Information Bulletin No. 2022-011
To: All Headquarters Office and Field Office Officials
From: Assistant Director, National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships
Subject: The Bureau of Land Management’s 2021 INSPIRE Award Announcement of Winner
We are pleased to announce the selection of Robert Sweeten from the Utah State Office as the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) 2021 Inspirational Interpretation and Resource Education “INSPIRE” Award winner. The INSPIRE Award recognizes BLM employees who have made significant contributions to BLM programs, initiatives, projects, and events through innovative interpretation and education.
Rob is the BLM administrator for the Old Spanish National Historic Trail (OSNHT). The OSNHT was designated by Congress in 2002 and is jointly administered with the National Park Service. It is a 2,700-mile-long pack mule route that travels from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California. The trail crosses six states and multiple jurisdictions with trail trace on federal, state, local government, and private property.
Rob recognized the complexity of interpreting a trail of this length and sought an innovative and creative solution that utilized the Explorer app to connect signs, wayside interpretive panels, and kiosks to create continuity. As an advocate for youth engagement and employment, Rob worked closely with several interns (Isobel Lingenfelter, Carly Lanche, Naba Faizi, Parker Wertz, and Courtney Warren) over the course of years to implement the project.
This interpretive effort began with identifying trail locations and sites in each state. Starting in California and working east, Rob and his interns hosted county-by-county public meetings to seek out the best interpretive sites and presented each county with a Recreation and Development Strategy document to foster ideas and discussions for future development. From this effort, a route was identified to “bring the trail to life.” Sign plans were drafted and circulated to key stakeholders for approval. Landowners and managers for non-Federal sites were asked if they would like to become certified sites and enter into agreements to help interpret the trail. Funds were provided by multiple counties and entities, or through grants. Additionally, this project fostered partnerships and support from the Old Spanish Trail Association, county, and city tourism groups.
As this project continued along the trail, it became apparent that these many interpretive efforts needed to be unified in some way for a more holistic representation of this Congressionally designated resource. To address this interpretive need, Rob’s team decided to use the Explorer app to interpret this resource. This app provides GPS coordinates for the Trail and includes interpretive and educational messaging, photos, stories, and directions for how to follow the original OSNHT route. This is not just a downloadable map where users follow the dot; it is a downloadable GIS product that integrates pop-up photos and voice files to provide a richer experience for people wanting to follow the historic trail and locate special sites, learn about important decisions that were made in certain spots or be asked thought-provoking questions without the need for on-the-ground signage in all locations. This product allows the visitor to not only know the location of the trail but also to stop when a historic inscription is in the area and pull up information about the person and the events that led them to that place. However, this program would not work without some signage and app marketing. Rob’s team created posters and a marketing logo for the app and designed and ordered three different on-the-ground interpretive bases. Rob’s team focused on accessibility and ensured the materials were compliant with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. All these actions help achieve the primary goal for the project of allowing members of the public to form their own connections with public land resources.
Rob will be honored at the National Association for Interpretation National Conference, on Thursday, December 2, 2021, in Palm Springs, California and virtually. The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will also recognize their top interpreters and educators at the ceremony.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Mark Lambrecht Robert M. Williams
Assistant Director Division of Regulatory Affairs and Directives,(HQ-630)
National Conservation Lands
and Community Partnerships
N/A.
We are pleased to announce the selection of Robert Sweeten from the Utah State Office as the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) 2021 Inspirational Interpretation and Resource Education “INSPIRE” Award winner. The INSPIRE Award recognizes BLM employees who have made significant contributions to BLM programs, initiatives, projects, and events through innovative interpretation and education.