BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Information Resources Management 

Activities and Accomplishments

Reaching Out to the Land, the Public, and the Future

DECEMBER 2009
“Dedicated to those employees past, present, and future who have worked to 

improve the use of technology in the Bureau of Land Management”

This document was prepared by:

Bureau of Land Management

WO-500 Information Resources Management

Washington, DC

BLM State and Center CIOs

Production services provided by:

BLM National Operations Center

Information and Publishing Services Section

BLM/WO/GI-09/011+1260

Cite as:

Bureau of Land Management. 2009. Information Resources Management Activities and 

Accomplishments: Reaching out to the Land, the Public, and the Future. Bureau of Land Management, 

Denver, Colorado. BLM/WO/GI-09/011+1260. 49 pages. 
Good stewardship requires that the 

Bureau of Land Management be more 

efficient and effective in carrying out 

its mission. Through the use of new 

technologies and Information Resource 

Management tools, the BLM has made 

significant progress in protecting and 

sustaining the health and diversity 

of the public lands. It is with great 

pleasure that I present the Bureau 

of Land Management’s Information 

Resources Management Activities 

and Accomplishments report for 2009. 

This report illustrates our commitment 

to integrate new and innovative 

technologies into the day-to-day 

operations of the BLM.

Sound stewardship principles and 

technological innovation are used to 

improve the collection, management, 

and analysis of scientific, geographic, 

economic, and demographic data. Using 

the Internet for electronic commerce via 

the Automated Fluid Minerals Support 

System and helping communicate 

BLM planning activities through the 

ePlanning initiative are good examples 

of technological innovations that 

help managers and staff carry out the 

Bureau’s multiple-use mission. 

An immense opportunity exists to 

continue this collaborative effort 

between technology and natural 

resource management. Together with 

good stewardship, creative thinking, 

and the use of advanced technology, 

we can continue to improve the BLM’s 

management of the public lands and the 

resources they contain. 

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s i

Robert V. Abbey

BLM Director 
M E S S A G E F R O M T H E C H I E F I N F O R M A T I O N O F F I C E R

It is with great pleasure that I present 

this report, Information Resources 

Management Accomplishments: 

Reaching Out to the Land, the 

Public, and the Future, for the Bureau 

of Land Management’s (BLM’s) 

Information Resources Management 

(IRM) community. This inaugural edition 

highlights the many activities undertaken 

within the IRM community and 

communicates its many accomplishments. 

The IRM community has had the privilege 

of working with numerous key BLM 

programs to address mission critical 

initiatives to improve services, such as 

the launching of geospatial applications 

throughout BLM State Offices along 

with the upgrade of the infrastructure 

to support the management of BLM’s 

extensive energy program.

The IRM community will continue to 

improve information technology (IT) 

support and services to make the BLM 

stronger and more efficient by leveraging 

emerging technologies, such as the 

BLM Mobile Office, which provides 

BLM employees with broader access to 

information systems and data. Moreover, 

we will continue to seek collaborative 

opportunities to better support and meet 

the BLM’s mission requirements.

President Obama has stated: “To 

help build a new foundation for the 

21st century, we need to reform our 

government so that it is more efficient, 

more transparent, and more creative.” 

To meet this goal, we will improve public 

outreach by using real-time external 

communications for general information 

sharing and crisis management. 

Additionally, we are currently supporting 

the White House DATA.GOV Initiative 

to support this vital goal. Legislative 

changes supporting the President’s 

Technology Agenda will provide 

additional opportunities to improve IT 

services within the BLM and better serve 

the needs of the public.

Our report, Information Resources 

Management Activities and 

Accomplishments: Reaching Out to 

the Land, the Public, and the Future, 

addresses the many IT-related activities 

that are underway at the BLM to better 

serve you. I trust you will find it a useful 

and informative resource.

Ronnie Levine

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s ii
C O N T E N T S

I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1

II. OVERVIEW.......................................................................................................... 3

III. REACHING OUT TO THE LAND ............................................................................. 5

IV. REACHING OUT TO THE PUBLIC........................................................................... 7

V. IRM INFORMATION SYSTEMS .............................................................................. 9

VI. IRM ACCOMPLISHMENTS HIGHLIGHTS .............................................................. 11

VII. IRM NATIONAL PROGRAM AREA ACCOMPLISHMENTS....................................... 13

VIII. IRM ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY STATE AND CENTER.............................................. 19

IX. REACHING OUT TO THE FUTURE ....................................................................... 47

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s iii

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 1

Information resources, and the personnel and tools necessary to 

manage these resources, serve an increasingly critical function 

in advancing the mission of the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) while integrating its mission objectives with the broader 

strategic goals of the Department of the Interior (Department). 

The growing importance of information resources to the success 

of the Department and each of its agencies is addressed in the 

Department’s Strategic Plan covering the period 2007 to 2012:

“While Interior is charged with an 

extremely broad range of missions and 

responsibilities, particular attention 

shall be paid over the next 5 years to 

issues with far-reaching consequences 

to the Nation’s natural resources, 

economic well-being, and management 

capabilities . . . .”

The Department’s Strategic Plan identifies information

resources as one of the factors having far-reaching 

consequences for the Department’s mission—along with such 

diverse and complex issues as wildland fires, water use, energy 

availability, species health, trust services and accountability, 

homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, 

and human capital. Indeed, the effective management of 

information resources has emerged as one of two vital common 

components for the successful management of all issues and 

challenges confronting the Department and its agencies. 

Information resources—made useful, effective, and manageable 

only through the efforts of our employees—bring within our 

grasp an ever-growing body of knowledge about the public 

lands and resources that are entrusted to our stewardship, and 

about the challenges and opportunities that lie before us.

I . I N T R O D U C T I O N

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 1

The BLM, with stewardship responsibilities for more than 256 million acres of 

public lands located primarily in the West, 

faces an increasingly daunting and complex challenge in carrying out its mission: 

“...to sustain the health, 

diversity, and productivity 

of the public lands for 

the use and enjoyment 

of present and future 

generations.”

The mission of Information Resources 

Management (IRM) is to support 

the BLM in meeting this challenge 

through the effective use of advanced 

Information Technology (IT) concepts 

and applications, which are managed by 

a highly skilled workforce kept current 

through continuous education and 

training.

The accelerating population growth 

and development of the West over 

the last half century have placed new 

demands and pressures on the land and 

its resources. These include the loss of 

open space to urbanization, increasing 

competition for water resources, greater 

public demand for outdoor recreation, 

and fragmentation of landscapes that 

threatens the natural habitats of fish and 

wildlife and places increasing numbers of 

species at risk.

Other impacts on the health of the land 

include prolonged drought across much 

of the West and the interrelated effects 

of climate change that contribute to 

large-scale disturbances such as atypical 

wildfires and the spread of invasive species. At the same time, global economic 

uncertainty and heightened concern 

over our Nation’s future economic and 

energy security have increased demand 

for energy and mineral resources, forage, 

timber products, and other resources 

of the public lands that serve our national 

interests and contribute to local 

employment and economic opportunity.

Adapting to these challenging and 

complex times, the BLM has identified 

Strategic Plan Mission Goals that can 

guide the agency toward successfully 

advancing its mission, while supporting 

the broader strategic goals of the 

Department.

The BLM’s Strategic Plan Mission 

Goals are:

•	 Resource Protection

•	 Resource Use

•	 Recreation

•	 Serving Communities

As an overarching management strategy, 

the BLM is reaching out across the 

land, directing more of its resources to 

the ground, supporting the work that 

can make the greatest difference in the 

health of the land and its resources, in 

the Nation’s vital interests, and in the 

lives of the American people. In the same 

way, through creativity and innovation, 

the IRM community is reaching out 

to the BLM workforce—whatever the 

nature of their duties and wherever 

their work may take them—to manage 

an information environment that more 

closely links the human resources that 

are the heart of the agency with the 

land, its resources, and all who depend 

upon them.

I I . O V E R V I E W

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 3

I I I . R E A C H I N G O U T T O T H E L A N D

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 5

To carry out an increasingly complex 

mission and to do so with full public 

participation, transparency, and scientific 

integrity, the BLM must collect vast 

amounts of data and then transform 

the data into meaningful information 

that can support sound management 

decisions. The advance of technology 

has allowed the agency to accomplish 

this with far greater effectiveness and 

efficiency than was ever before possible. 

Information systems, driven by stateof-the-art technology, allow the BLM 

to collect, integrate, manage, and 

share data in areas such as:

•	 Health, diversity, and productivity of

the land

•	 Quality of air and water resources

•	 Health of vegetative communities and

of fish and wildlife habitat

•	 Reduction of hazardous fuels that

increase the risk of catastrophic 

wildfires

•	 Restoration and recovery of ecosystems

damaged by wildfires

•	 Contamination and degradation

of soils

•	 Cultural and natural heritage resources

•	 Energy and mineral resources,

associated leases, lease applications, 

and permits

•	 Range and forest resources

•	 Livestock grazing and timber

operations

•	 Public recreation

“The Department will use 

technology to work smarter, 

including providing 

single points of access to 

our services and other 

expanded E-Government 

opportunities. We are 

working to give our 

employees the skills, 

technologies, systems, and 

practices they’ll need to 

meet the future.” 

—Department of the Interior 

Strategic Plan 2007–2012

I V . R E A C H I N G O U T T O T H E P U B L I C

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 7

While reaching out across the public 

lands to link resource managers with 

the information and information systems essential to their mission, the IRM 

community is also reaching out to the 

American public to inform, enlighten, and 

engage them in the stewardship of the 

public lands. IT has opened the door to 

virtually unlimited opportunities for public 

access to information about government 

and public policy, and for full public participation in both the process of government and the business of government.

Public access to information about 

the public lands leads to a broader 

appreciation and understanding of 

how these resources serve to promote 

America’s national interests and to 

sustain the quality of life we all enjoy. 

In addition, public access to the process 

of management and stewardship of 

the public lands contributes to more 

collaborative, sounder, and more 

sustainable decisions.

The American people, in this “age of 

information,” have come to expect higher 

standards of access to government and 

better tools that provide more convenient 

and immediate access, both for sharing 

information and for conducting business 

between government and private entities. 

Similarly, as a result of this increased 

access, the public has also come to 

expect higher standards of accountability 

and transparency in their government. 

For all these reasons, the BLM has 

placed a high priority on the use of 

information technology and information 

systems to serve the growing needs and 

expectations of the public it serves.

Significant efforts have been made to 

improve BLM’s presence on the Internet. 

This has included IRM support for major 

governmentwide projects for expanded 

public access to data and information. 

For example, the Geospatial One-Stop 

(GOS) information system provides a 

spatial data “card catalog” of metadata 

for easier, more reliable public access 

to the Federal Government’s spatial 

information. It is estimated that GOS 

has saved the public significant annual 

expenses by eliminating redundant data 

collection and increasing opportunities 

for cost-sharing partnerships. The BLM 

has posted metadata, and provided 

map services for cadastral and land and 

minerals programs and Federal surface 

management agency boundaries. The 

BLM has also provided metadata records 

from BLM clearinghouses to allow the 

public to find BLM spatial resource 

information more easily. The BLM will 

continue to post information to GOS, 

as well as expand partnerships that will 

enhance and improve the quality of data 

that is provided to the public. 

The BLM will also continue to expand 

public access to information through 

the agency’s web presence and other 

electronic media. The BLM’s primary 

portal, www.blm.gov, presently 

provides the public with 24/7 access 

to information about the public lands 

and the agency’s many management 

activities, including a wealth of 

information, photographs, maps, and 

other materials regarding public land 

recreational opportunities and facilities.

“This vision reflects the 

Secretary’s goal of involving 

others, including communities, 

Tribes, partners, customers, 

contractors, volunteers, and 

the interested public as we 

accomplish our mission. We are 

confident that actively working 

with others to obtain their input 

and feedback will improve our 

programs, processes, plans, and 

practices. Our key business 

principles - accountability and 

modernization/ integration 

- apply across the entire 

Department as well.”

 

 — Department of the Interior 

Strategic Plan 2007–2012
The Bureau of Land Management’s public web presence is a key customer service tool that 

facilitates the flow of information and services. 

It is:

	 •	 Comprehensive and accurate;

	 •	 Timely and reliable;

	 •	 Interactive and engaging; and

	 •	 Responsive to customer needs.

BLM will provide valuable information and interactive services to the American public via 

the Web that will enhance their use, enjoyment, and knowledge of Public Lands.”

 —Mission and Vision Statement of the BLM Web Council

8 I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s
V . I R M I N F O R M A T I O N S Y S T E M S

Recently, the IRM community has 

made significant investments toward 

more efficient, cost effective, and fully 

integrated information systems that 

directly and indirectly support programs 

and activities across the mission of 

the BLM. These information systems 

contribute to more efficient and effective 

administration and management of the 

agency, while supporting management 

decisions involving resources valued in 

the billions of dollars.

The following are brief descriptions of 

some of the key information systems 

and their relationship to the strategic 

goals of the BLM and the Department 

of the Interior.

The Automated Fluid Minerals 

Support System (AFMSS) is 

recognized as critical to the Department’s 

strategic goal of managing natural 

resources to promote responsible use 

and sustain a dynamic economy. It is also 

critical to one of the key performance 

goals of the BLM’s Strategic Plan, which 

is increasing the Nation’s supply of energy 

from the public lands. 

The AFMSS allows the BLM to collect, 

integrate, and share information on 

oil and gas resources and activities on 

public lands. It contains data concerning 

lease and agreement ownership, well 

identification, location and history, 

geologic formations, resource protection, 

production, and operator compliance. The 

system also has an electronic commerce 

module that interfaces with the oil and 

gas industry for improved efficiency that 

serves the interests of the BLM, industry, 

and the public. 

The Collections and Billing 

System (CBS) supports the Department’s Key Business Principles of 

increasing accountability and advancing 

modernization/integration, and the principles of the BLM’s Managing for Excellence (M4E) initiative. The CBS allows the 

BLM to collect and integrate information 

on financial activities, workload and performance, costing, and resource management to improve efficiency of operations, 

to direct more resources to activities on 

the ground, and to improve accountability, transparency, and the overall performance of the agency.

ePlanning is a suite of powerful yet 

easy to use tools for the BLM’s resource 

management planning process. This 

information system supports the 

following performance goals of the BLM 

and many other goals of the agency and 

the Department:

•	 Increasing the Nation’s supply of

energy from the public lands

•	 Responding to threats to rangeland

and forests

•	 Improving dispersed recreational

opportunities

•	 Protecting and preserving heritage

resources

ePlanning provides a mechanism to 

update land use plans systematically for a 

variety of benefits, including:

•	 Improved decision making

•	 Increased public access to planning

information and increased public 

participation in the planning process

•	 Reduced time and costs for

developing resource management 

plans (RMPs)

•	 Greater collaboration and efficiency

in meeting planning requirements of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA)

•	 More efficient collection,

management, and use of data 

regarding cultural and heritage 

properties, energy and mineral 

resources, fish and wildlife habitat, 

at-risk species, recreational resources, 

and many other resource values 

associated with the public lands

•	 Information sharing that allows

citizens and communities 24/7 access 

via the Internet or online access to 

information regarding land allocations 

that affect local public lands

Other important information systems 

and related IRM initiatives include:

The Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) is an interagency application that tracks incident 

responder certifications and provides 

workforce analytics for BLM firefighters 

and those of other Federal agencies.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 9
10 I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s

The www.RECREATION.gov website 

allows the BLM and other Federal 

resource management agencies to 

provide a one-stop, electronic portal that 

expands public access to information 

about recreational opportunities on 

the public lands. The site also provides 

the convenience of online service for 

recreation permits and reservations.

The Facilities Asset Management 

System (FAMS) provides a 

comprehensive database of the agency’s 

constructed assets. This application tracks 

$7.1 billion in assets that have an annual 

operation and maintenance budget 

of over $102 million and a deferred 

maintenance burden of approximately 

$450 million. As an example, the system 

will be indispensable to the investment 

of nearly $76 million allocated to the 

BLM under the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to stimulate 

economic activity and create jobs. FAMS 

identified and ARRA funded 142 deferred 

maintenance projects that address visitor 

and employee health and safety needs, 

energy efficiency, and the sustainability of 

BLM buildings, facilities, and structures.

The Wild Horse and Burro Program 

System (WHBPS) is a web-based application for maintaining and sharing 

information necessary to the stewardship 

of populations of wild horses and burros 

that are protected by law and managed 

by the BLM. Other WHBPS Internet applications help the BLM promote public 

adoption of animals removed from the 

range.

Geographic Information Systems 

(GIS) provide a national mapping 

network that integrates geospatial 

(location-based) data giving resource 

managers a more complete understanding 

of the interrelated characteristics of a 

specified area of land. This information, 

generally presented in the form of maps 

or charts, displays multiple themes or 

layers of data on subjects such as types 

of vegetation, water resources, wildlife 

habitat, threatened and endangered 

species, archaeological sites and heritage 

and cultural resources, man-made 

structures, rights-of-way, energy and 

mineral development, and other public 

land uses and values.

GIS systems are an important tool for 

the assessment of wildland fire risks, 

allowing analysts to look at fuel loads, 

weather patterns, and past fire history in 

predicting likely fire behavior. Maps and 

information produced by GIS also assist 

the BLM in keeping the public informed 

about activities and issues associated 

with the public lands.

Enterprise GIS is being designed to 

create a coherent Bureauwide design 

for GIS technology. Ultimately, common 

and standard data will be stored and 

retrievable for access and processing in 

custom business applications such as 

AFMSS, ePlanning, and land management 

applications. The Enterprise GIS system 

will enable BLM employees and 

stakeholders to access geospatial data, 

information, and knowledge, whenever 

and wherever it is needed. 

The vision of an Enterprise GIS is to:

•	 Empower BLM managers and

specialists by providing access 

to automated, up-to-date, and 

standardized geospatial data

•	 Effectively integrate geospatial

information into the agency’s 

business processes

•	 Transform business information into

corporate knowledge using geospatial applications that embody 

state-of-the-art spatial analysis and 

visualization tools

•	 Allow the knowledge derived

from spatial analysis to be used by 

managers to initiate actions and 

effect outcomes through a defensible 

decision-making process

•	 Permit stakeholders to access

the BLM’s geospatial data and 

information to facilitate interaction 

with the agency 

“Managers, resource specialists, analysts, researchers, and policy makers recognize that 

geospatial information is critical for managing the public lands—for understanding natural resource 

relationships, environmental interactions, social and economic impacts, and 

environmental performance.”

—Geospatial Services Strategic Plan FY 2008
I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 11

V I . I R M A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S H I G H L I G H T S 

The relationship between the effective 

management of information resources 

and the success of BLM’s mission on the 

ground can be seen across the public 

lands and across the broad mission of the 

agency. The following are some illustrative 

highlights.

In Arizona and California, the IRM 

community was instrumental in upgrading 

telecommunications for law enforcement 

personnel of the BLM and other agencies 

operating on the public lands bordering 

the international boundary with Mexico.

In Montana, collaboration among IRM 

staff and resource specialists led to the 

recovery of comprehensive spatial data 

on the location of noxious weeds and 

previous treatment activities. The work 

dramatically reduced the time and costs 

associated with developing information 

necessary for updating Resource 

Management Plans (RMPs).

In New Mexico, IRM personnel expanded 

the functionality of a web-based fire 

management application, allowing 

Fire Information Specialists to post 

information on current wildfires, and 

improving other internal and public 

information services of the application.

In Oregon, BLM personnel continued 

pioneering work as a Center of 

Excellence in Enterprise GIS. Activities 

included the use of geospatial data to 

support the Department’s National Sage 

Grouse Conservation Project, entailing 

the consolidation of GIS data from 

across the Great Basin and the Pacific 

Northwest.

In Utah, the IRM community supported 

the use of GIS in acquiring information on 

activities such as emergency stabilization 

and rehabilitation of disturbed lands, 

environmental assessments for wind 

energy, and in the use of remote sensing 

technology to map and classify the key 

attributes of over 300,000 acres of 

woodland vegetation.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 13

V I I . I R M N A T I O N A L P R O G R A M A R E A A C C O P M P L I S H M E N T S

Strategic investment in information 

technology will be a critical factor in the 

BLM’s success in adapting to and meeting 

the challenges of the 21st century. The 

BLM recognizes the importance of wise 

and prudent investment decision making 

and is instituting a rigorous information 

technology investment process that 

requires project documentation and 

tracking of all life cycle activities from 

project inception to implementation, 

operation and maintenance, and 

decommissioning. This will allow the 

BLM to make rapid improvements in 

developing new state-of-the-practice 

software systems for the intranet and 

Internet, thus better supporting multiple 

IT initiatives throughout the agency’s 

jurisdiction. The following activities 

represent IRM Capital Planning and 

Investment Control (CPIC) achievements.

Investment Management

•	 Conducting Post Implementation,

Operational, and Quarterly Reviews

for major investments on regularly 

scheduled timetables 

•	 Developing investment profiles for all

major and non-major investments to 

streamline monitoring and evaluation 

processes 

•	 Examining cost and schedule

variances for major investments 

•	 Developing, managing, and

overseeing business cases within 

BLM’s IT investment portfolio in 

accordance with requirements of 

the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB)

•	 Conducting quarterly selfassessments of BLM’s IT Investment 

Management (ITIM) policies, 

procedures, activities, and repositories

•	 Providing quarterly updates to

the Department on BLM’s ITIM 

policies, strategies, activities, and 

achievements

•	 Analyzing BLM’s IT portfolio on a

semi-annual basis and reporting 

results to the Department’s Chief 

Information Officer

•	 Obtaining and reviewing status

reports from project managers on 

performance, cost, and scheduling 

issues.

•	 Reviewing status of projects and

recommending corrective action to 

address deficiencies

•	 Actively monitoring investments to

determine potential risks 

•	 Preparing recommendations for

the continuation, modification, 

or cancellation of funding for 

investments as appropriate and 

publishing findings in an annual IT 

investment health report

IT Security

IT personnel employed a variety of 

commercial and government tools 

to strengthen the security of BLM’s 

IT network and the agency’s security 

posture in accordance with the Federal 

Information Security Management Act. IT 

Security measures included:

•	 Monitoring and controlling of traffic

at BLM’s network boundary

•	 Identifying and blocking more than

14,000 unique Internet addresses 

that resulted in preventing nearly 

51,000 malicious sessions

•	 Blocking more than 112,000

attempts to penetrate BLM’s network 

boundary

•	 Deploying additional intrusion

detection and prevention systems on 

the BLM internal network to protect 

the internal network infrastructure, 

as well as hosts and systems, from 

internally generated malicious traffic

These active information security 

measures, coupled with extensive 

vulnerability management and 

remediation processes help ensure the 

confidentiality, integrity, and availability 

of BLM automated systems and data.

BLM reported the performance results 

of a Most Efficient Organization (MEO) 

created for IT security. MEOs are separate 

organizations within an agency that are 

required to document performance under 

competitive sourcing. The BLM’s MEO for 

IT Security Services estimated first year 

performance savings of $874,425. An 

annual post-competition accountability 

review was completed in February 2009 
14

documenting that the MEO successfully 

achieved the three primary requirements 

outlined by the OMB.

Enterprise Architecture

BLM’s adaptation of enterprise 

architecture practices such as business 

process re-engineering has begun 

to increase operational efficiencies 

by initiating long-term efforts aimed 

at improving data quality. The 

standardization of corporate data will 

allow increased systems integration and 

result in a much more effective use of 

technology investments. 

Application Modernization

The BLM has initiated an application 

modernization initiative that will 

significantly improve BLM service delivery 

to field offices. The focus of this initiative 

is revitalizing the BLM application 

architecture and its underlying technical 

environment. 

Activities centered on planning aspects 

of the initiative, with the following highlevel objectives:

•	 Encouraging inclusivity, participation,

and buy-in at key decision points

•	 Establishing a centralized application

inventory process

•	 Modernizing the BLM application

architecture by integration of systems 

and data under centralized operations

•	 Providing a model and framework for

sustained technology refreshment and 

enhancement by leveraging 

“state-of-the-industry” practices

•	 Centralizing and strengthening

application governance and oversight

•	 Improving information sharing and

service delivery throughout BLM

System Lifecycle Management

Development of a Draft System Lifecycle 

Management (SLM) methodology is 

underway that will be used to manage 

all BLM technology projects including 

application systems, infrastructure 

upgrades, and field office initiatives. 

The SLM will eventually establish a 

standard, documented process for guiding 

technology projects within the BLM. It is 

being designed to respond quickly and 

effectively to support unique mission 

and program area needs as they arise. 

This will provide a stable and effective 

policy framework from which to manage 

the development and integration of 

automated products and services across 

BLM’s enterprise architecture.

The SLM will support and ensure the 

production and integration of quality 

systems and tools into the BLM technical 

environment that meet end user needs 

while conforming to IRM program area 

requirements.

BLM Goes Mobile

Efforts are well underway in the analysis 

and planning to establish a robust, 

wireless services capability. The BLM 

Mobile Office Initiative addresses a 

broad range of technical capabilities 

which will support the large mobile end 

user community. The first element of the 

Mobile Office expands wireless capability 

by providing Air Cards for laptop 

computer users. Through the use of this 

technology, BLM employees will be able 

to access vital systems and information 

on the go, anyplace, and anytime. 

Moreover, the Mobile Office provides 

secure access to network and IT resources 

necessary for BLM personnel to meet 

their daily work commitments. 

Reducing Costs

The BLM is attempting to reduce costs 

associated with wireless services by 

inventorying wireless devices and 

implementing new policies for their 

acquisition and use. Additional savings 

are being achieved through the expanded 

use of video conferencing to defer travel 

costs. Additionally, the BLM is piloting an 

IT acquisition and equipment refreshment 

planning process to reduce asset costs 

by managing replacement cycles and 

centralized purchases as efficiently as 

possible. 

Managing Human Capital

IRM has supported BLM’s human capital 

management organizations in delivering 

online training to help maintain a highly 

skilled workforce. Specialized assistance 

in conducting the following initiatives by 

BLM’s National Training Center (NTC) has 

included:

•	 Significant advances in the use of IT

to deliver and convert conventional 

training to distance learning 

thus reducing the time and costs 

associated with employee travel 

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s
I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 15

•	 Conversion of training videos and

course materials by using Flash 

Technology for distribution over the 

Internet

•	 Creation of a Knowledge Resource

Center that provides online access 

to a wide range of documents and 

videos previously only accessible via 

satellite broadcasts

BLM’s IRM community also supported 

the expanded use of collaboration 

technologies for activities associated 

with: 

•	 Human resources and equal

employment opportunity based 

organizations

•	 Safety

•	 Recruitment and retention

•	 Employee surveys and assessments

 Business and Fiscal Resources

IRM has supported BLM’s Business and 

Fiscal Services Directorate in the deployment of the Financial and Business 

Management System (FBMS). That system 

integrates the Department’s financial and 

administrative functions and standardizes 

business processes across all Departmental agencies and offices. Implementing 

FBMS is enabling the Department to 

incorporate its financial and business 

process management into a single solution that will eliminate the need for 

the more than 80 aging legacy systems 

currently in operation. As a result, FBMS 

will streamline customer and vendor 

transactions, reduce errors, and simplify 

tasks. Integrating various data items 

provides employees access to consistent, 

real-time information, which allows them 

to perform their jobs more effectively and 

efficiently.

The IRM community has also supported 

development of new capabilities for the 

Cost Management System, including:

•	 Outcome measure budgeting

•	 Budgeting by subactivity

•	 Budgeting by dollars, workload units,

and performance units

•	 State spending profiles

•	 Performance measure cost analyses

With specialized assistance from IRM 

personnel, the BLM also completed eight 

separate improvements to the Budget 

Planning System, automated the mid-year 

and third quarter reviews in the Performance Management Data System, and 

added a Planning Target Allocation cost 

target setting capability. 

Members of IRM Directorate Staff and Management at a summer team building and strategy planning 

meeting in FY 2009 at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training 

Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
16 I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s

BLM CIO Council Meeting, July 28–31, 2009

Summary of the Chief Information Officer’s Council (CIOC)

What the CIOC Does:

The Chief Information Officer’s Council 

(CIOC) performs many functions. One is 

to provide a strategic advisory capacity 

to the BLM CIO and Deputy AD-IRM. The 

CIOC also provides tactical and operational support to States, Centers, and 

Headquarters Offices. CIOC subcommittees are responsible for reviewing specific 

operational and technical issues on behalf 

of the BLM and often serve in whole or 

in part on Departmental task forces and 

teams. The CIOC functions as a platform 

for executing and improving IRM policy 

implementation in the BLM.

How the CIOC does it:

The CIOC plans two meetings a year with 

the option of additional meetings if necessary as set forth by the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Field Committee (FC), 

Business Management Council (BMC), 

the Information Technology Investment 

Board (ITIB), and the Budget Strategy 

Team (BST). Conference calls are scheduled monthly, or as required, to address 

technical, policy, and investment matters.

The CIOC’s Recent 

Accomplishments: 

•	 Developed/implemented uniform IT

cost coding structures within FBMS 

that align with the OMB Exhibit 53 

format requirements

•	 Staffed major work teams to develop

FY 2010 DOI Hardware contract 

standards and drafted interim BLM 

policy for issuance by WO-500

•	 Validated FY 2009 Hardware and

Software License requirements and 

helped renegotiate Departmentwide 

IRM goods and services contracts

•	 Participated in audit reviews of the

IT Security and National Help Desk 

Most Efficient Organization (MEO) 

implementations

•	 Directly supported WO-550 and

the NOC in developing standards 

and procedures for IT expenditures, 

regional planning, and operational 

priorities

•	 Played a major role in coordinating

and implementing IT Security directives 

and security initiatives relative to 

Systems Testing and Evaluation (ST&E) 

and Certification and Accreditation 

(C&A) activities

•	 Developed governance documents

in FY 2009 concerning SharePoint 

deployment in BLM and the 

replacement of aging telephonic 

Public Branch Exchange (PBX) switch 

technologies

•	 Provided input and guidance on Dispatch Center computer usage; Microsoft Active Directory (AD) implementations; Freedom of Information Act 

(FOIA) processing, Records, and Directives Management policy revisions; 

Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange 

E-Mail migration planning; and use of 

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) 

and other telecommunications (voice 

and data) support services

•	 Adopted the Information Technology

Infrastructure Library (ITIL) 

methodology for consistent IT 

management in the BLM

Planned Activities:

The CIOC continues its IRM 

transformational activities. Beginning 

with the Managing for Excellence 

Initiative (M4E) and evolving 

Department of the Interior (DOI) 

strategic initiatives, the State and 

Center CIOs continue to take 

responsible actions to reduce costs 

and improve services over time. Items 

believed to be of increasing importance 

include wireless data communications; 

social networking; collaboration 

with external groups; IP-based video 

and voice; continued consolidation 

and virtualization; cloud services; 

and eDiscovery, eFOIA, and service 

management.
T A B L E O F I R M F U N D I N G

FY 2008 Total IRM Expenditures and FY 2009/FY 2010 Estimates

(FY08 @ FMIS Actual Canned Reports; FY 09, FY 10 @ Current 

Exhibit 53 Projections)

Bureau of Land Management Expenditures - 

Labor and Operations FY 2008 FY 2009 Est FY 2010 Est

Bureau IRM Labor $50,743,053 

IRM Operational Cost (Equipment/Material/Contractor Support) $93,585,116 

Total $144,328,169 $150,174,000 $149,484,000

Major Operations Categories

Washington Office 2008 Labor 2008 Operations 2008 Total FY 2009 Estimate FY 2010 Estimate

Office of the Director (WO-100) 246,313 920,436 1,166,749 45,000 45,000

Renewable Resources and Planning (WO-200) 252,892 1,635,907 1,888,799 5,294,000 5,343,000

Minerals and Realty Management (WO-300) 2,757 514,414 517,171 7,953,000 8,394,000

Fire and Aviation (WO-400) 684,764 1,727,208 2,411,972 3,147,000 2,725,000

Information Resources Management (WO-500) 4,272,499 4,647,417 8,919,917 5,467,000 7,939,000

Communications (WO-600) 174,568 589,750 764,319 177,000 251,000

Human Capital Management (WO-700) 40,400 81,668 122,069 298,000 701,000

Business and Financial Resources (WO-800) 284,170 1,009,894 1,294,064 2,741,000 3,725,000

Total Washington Office Spending 5,958,364 11,126,696 17,085,060 25,077,000 29,123,000

States and Centers Labor Operations Activity Spending

Alaska 3,471,157 2,665,633 6,136,790 7,072,000 7,839,000

Arizona 2,069,331 1,488,410 3,557,741 2,687,000 2,654,000

California 3,281,427 2,773,304 6,054,731 5,474,000 6,033,000

Colorado 2,549,649 1,273,501 3,823,151 3,750,000 4,207,000

Eastern States 664,535 1,223,510 1,888,045 2,181,000 2,011,000

Fire and Aviation 1,722,203 3,996,949 5,719,152 5,494,000 5,384,000

Idaho 2,334,501 1,871,769 4,206,270 4,962,000 4,862,000

Montana 1,921,407 1,303,796 3,225,203 3,455,000 3,385,000

New Mexico 2,664,510 1,761,672 4,426,182 4,023,000 3,941,000

Nevada 1,581,048 2,798,983 4,380,031 2,858,000 3,367,000

National Operations Center 11,686,874 17,187,469 28,874,343 20,904,000 17,794,000

Oregon 4,842,990 10,978,600 15,821,590 15,411,000 13,781,000

Training Center 1,175,676 489,455 1,665,131 1,342,000 1,315,000

Utah 2,361,005 1,863,829 4,224,834 5,176,000 4,835,000

Wyoming 2,458,376 1,372,246 3,830,622 5,825,000 5,739,000

Total States and Centers 44,784,689 53,049,126 97,833,815 90,614,000 87,147,000

IT Central Funds Cost

IT Security Cert and Accred (ACER) (WO-500) $ - 804,479 804,479 801,000 800,000

Corporate Tech Refresh (CITI) (WO-500/NOC) $ - 304,298 304,298 2,043,000 3,000,000

Enterprise Architecture (EAIT/ENTA) (WO-500/NOC) $ - 2,218,681 2,218,681 2,160,000 900,000

Enterprise Messaging (ENTM) (WO-500/NOC) $ - 299,053 299,053 939,000 1,200,000

HW/SW Maintenance (HSMA) (WO-500/NOC) $ - 8,070,620 8,070,620 7,000,000 7,001,000

National Records Administration (NARA) (WO-500) $ - 118,000 118,000 175,000 175,000

Zantaz (Live e-mail capture-ZANT) (WO-500) $ - 897,072 897,072 1,479,000 589,000

Total IT Central Funds 0 12,712,203 12,712,203 14,597,000 13,665,000

Departmental Payments

Washington Office Assessments $ - 955,720 955,720 956,000 956,000

Department Mandatory Payments $ - 15,741,371 15,741,371 18,930,000 18,593,000

Total Department Payments 0 16,697,091 16,697,091 19,886,000 19,549,000

50,743,053 93,585,116 144,328,169 150,174,000 149,484,000

3/4/2010

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 19

V I I I . I R M A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S B Y S T A T E A N D C E N T E R

A L A S K A

Information resources are particularly critical to BLM 

operations that extend to the far reaches of some of the 

most rugged and remote lands on the continent, such as 

the BLM in Alaska. BLM Alaska manages more than 

78.5 million acres of public lands. Some smaller parcels 

of land are scattered across the State’s interior and 

south-central region. Larger stretches of public lands 

span the mountain ranges, forested hills, and arctic 

tundra of far western and northern Alaska.

In this rugged and remote environment, information and 

communication services are vital to the unique duties 

of BLM employees in Alaska. These include resource 

management associated with activities such as energy 

development in an arctic setting, research at North 

America’s largest glacier, management of the Iditarod 

National Historic Trail, and maintenance of a visitor 

center designed for Alaska’s subzero temperatures. 

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Alaska

include:

•	 Upgraded and modernized IT and communications

tools for the Alaska BLM workforce, making a significant contribution to improved overall performance of 

employees and to the services they provide the public.

•	 Improved the GIS capabilities of BLM Alaska by

upgrading the CITRIX© server farm at the State Office 

operating center to serve multiple versions of ArcGIS, 

and integrated collection of GIS software used for geospatial analysis, data management, and mapping. The 

upgrade serves more than 50 users across Alaska.

•	 Restored the Alaska Land Information System (ALIS),

providing full service to the public, customers, and 

Federal employees. This site and many of its related 

information systems are the product of a BLM partnership with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. 

The site provides a common entrance to cadastralrelated data systems by these agencies as well as local 

government and Alaskan Native organizations.

•	 Completed a 2-year security audit at the Fairbanks

District Office, identifying and correcting deficiencies, 

improving security, strengthening administrative standards, and enhancing the telecommunications network 

serving the Field Office and its customers.

•	 Acquired and installed more than 100 desktop and

laptop computers as part of the equipment lifecycle 

replacement program and deployed updated software.

•	 Upgraded telephone and data communications

hardware and software to improve efficiency of 

operations and to fully utilize future network 

equipment upgrades, increased bandwidth, and other 

technological advances.

•	 Improved elements of the Alaska State Office IT

network and infrastructure to enhance the work 

environment and increase the duration of sustainable 

emergency power for operations of the BLM State 

Office and the Fairbanks District Office.

•	 Improved mountaintop communications sites that are

critical to radio and telephone communications for the 

BLM and other government agencies.

•	 Consolidated and improved the server infrastructure

of the Glennallen Field Office, improving performance 

and reliability for all users of the system, and upgraded 

the Field Office’s telephone system to improve service 

to employees and to the public. 

•	 Improved the backup/emergency power reserves for

all IT users at the Campbell Tract Facility through an 

equipment surplus transfer with the Federal Aviation 

Administration. The upgrade resulted in a total savings 

of approximately $85,000. Savings of an additional 

$180,000 resulted from the elimination of unused 

data circuits.

•	 Conducted a statewide audit of telephone equipment

and services, identifying improvements that enhanced 

performance throughout BLM Alaska’s operations, 

while resulting in an annual savings of $11,000.

•	 Achieved efficiencies in information and communications technology and operations that exceeded 

$276,000.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 21

 In Arizona, the BLM manages more than 12 million 

acres of public lands from the arid landscapes of the 

lower Sonoran Desert to the high plateaus north of the 

Grand Canyon. These public lands offer a wealth of 

opportunities for public recreation and for many other 

uses and activities associated with grazing, mining, 

cultural resources, wild horses and burros, riparian areas, 

and wildlife habitat.

 

Among the emerging management issues confronting 

the BLM in Arizona are the impacts of rapid population 

growth in areas of close proximity to public lands, the 

growing incidence of wildfires along the wildland/urban 

interface, the high potential for alternative energy from 

wind and solar power, the management of major energy 

transmission corridors that serve the large populations of 

the west coast, and a variety of Homeland Security issues 

along Arizona’s 370-mile border with Mexico.

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Arizona 

include:

•	 Upgraded the telecommunications services of the

Arizona Interagency Dispatch Center serving law 

enforcement, with a focus on the Borderlands service 

area. This work has improved the reliability and 

security of communications for law enforcement 

personnel of the BLM, National Park Service, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service. 

IRM staff specializing in radio communications 

received a commendation from the Department for 

their contribution to improved communications for 

Department agencies along the Arizona and Texas 

borders with Mexico.

•	 Assisted the Department in advancing interoperability

of Radio-Over-Internet Protocol (ROIP) with emphasis 

on the telecommunications infrastructure of the law 

enforcement community.

•	 Partnered with the BLM National Operations Center

(NOC) in positioning GIS information for Arizona, 

which enables any Arizona GIS Specialist to access 

any Arizona information from their office location. 

This direct access allows the shifting of specialist skills 

to areas of immediate attention (planning, special 

maps/analysis), with a decrease in the time and costs 

associated with travel and an increase in the efficient 

use of specialists’ time and expertise.

•	 Provided ongoing support in the form of skills and

technical capability to ensure that all firefighters have 

the information and communication tools needed 

onsite to provide safety and security, particularly in the 

hazardous duties of firefighting.

•	 Implemented new directives on cellular phone and

hand-held computer devices for specific levels of the 

fire organization, which resulted in a decrease in cell 

phone costs and increased access needed at specific 

positions of responsibility.

•	 Initiated assessment and expansion of the existing Fire

Radio Network to better serve resource management 

specialists in the exercise of their duties in the field. 

The IRM community is proceeding with improvements 

to provide the best and most reliable radio coverage 

technology to ensure the personal safety of those who 

often work in isolated and remote areas of the public 

lands.

•	 Implemented automated software-based solutions for

tracking equipment performance and reliability. 

•	 Supported expanded use of the Arizona Recreation

On-Line Permit System allowing recreation staff 

to more efficiently process growing numbers of 

applications for recreation permits, and enhancing the 

process for the convenience of the public. 

A R I Z O N A

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 23

Escalating population growth defines BLM’s challenges in 

California. More than a half million new residents move 

to the “Golden State” each year, bringing additional 

demands to the 15.2 million acres of public lands 

managed by the BLM. The public lands in California 

include the rugged Pacific coastline, mountain ranges, 

and virtually every ecosystem in between. These lands 

offer recreational opportunities, energy resources, 

livestock forage, cultural sites, and wildlife habitat for 

more than 800 species of plants and animals. 

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM California 

include:

•	 Initiated pilot projects for centralized management

by the NOC for some IT support services at the Field 

Office level. These pilot projects have documented 

processes that can achieve significant efficiencies of 

operation and costs Bureauwide.

•	 Installed two mountaintop repeaters to enhance BLM

radio coverage in the California Desert and along the 

Mexican border.

•	 Implemented remote programming of portable and

mobile radios, significantly reducing the travel costs of 

radio technicians performing that function.

•	 Advanced Enterprise GIS with the integration of new

hardware and software and consolidated geospatial 

data from Field Offices into standardized data sets.

•	 Initiated a program to improve employee productivity

in over 90 BLM office locations in California through 

the automation of routine administrative functions. The 

changes will allow redirection of significant levels of 

the administrative workforce to perform other work. 

C A L I F O R N I A

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 25

C O L O R A D O

In Colorado, the BLM oversees 8.3 million acres of public 

lands—ranging from 4,000 feet to over 14,000 feet in 

elevation—along with 29 million acres of subsurface 

mineral estate. Colorado public lands contain abundant 

resources that contribute to national, State, and local 

economies, including energy and mineral resources and 

forage for livestock grazing. The BLM must balance 

the economic uses of the public lands with other uses 

and values including conservation of natural, cultural, 

and heritage resources, and preservation of scenic and 

recreational resources.

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Colorado 

include:

•	 Centralized all IT functions at the State Office in

alignment with the BLM’s M4E initiative, streamlining 

IT processes and services to BLM’s 21 Colorado Field 

Offices.

•	 Improved IT assistance and problem resolution

through deployment of the national Remedy© help 

desk system. The system is designed to provide higher 

levels of support to employees, more rapid resolution 

of IT problems, and the use of help desk case data to 

improve future IT performance.

•	 Advanced the Service First partnership between the

BLM and the U.S. Forest Service through a national 

pilot with Oregon resolving IT and radio issues. The 

goal of the pilot is to streamline processes and reduce 

IT costs for Service First agencies.

•	 Developed an interim process in collaboration with

the Washington Office planning group for the use of 

IT applications in the development of RMPs, pending 

deployment of a new version of ePlanning.

•	 Developed a geospatial strategic plan for the

implementation and operation of Enterprise GIS in 

Colorado. This plan addresses the key Enterprise GIS 

issues of data standardization and data stewardship, 

data quality control and quality assurance, data 

sharing and distribution, education and outreach, and 

interagency coordination.

•	 Piloted an Enterprise GIS project to begin the process

of standardizing Colorado’s data and serving it to all 

State-supported offices from a centralized corporate 

database housed on Citrix© servers at the BLM’s NOC. 

The Colorado State Office and three Field Offices have 

completed moving data to the enterprise database. 

•	 Implemented efficiencies to address accelerating costs

for the use of wireless devices, such as limiting the 

number of wireless devices to one per employee and 

consolidating wireless service plans to enable sharing 

of minutes thereby reducing wireless costs. 

•	 Developed a statewide strategy for improved reliability

of radio communications for employees in the field 

by updating mountaintop facilities at 17 sites across 

Colorado.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 27

E A S T E R N S T A T E S O F F I C E

The BLM’s Eastern States Office (ESO) is committed 

to sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity 

of the public lands spanning the 31 States east of 

and bordering the Mississippi River. This includes 

administering approximately 20,000 surface acres 

of public lands and more than 39 million acres of 

subsurface Federal mineral estate. The ESO is also 

responsible for placing more than 30 percent of all 

animals adopted in the Nation each year as part of the 

BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. 

The ESO has taken the lead in reducing IT staff, 

centralizing IT Refreshment, base lining IT staff across 

the 14 reportable categories, printer and equipment 

management, video conferencing, and centralizing/

reducing servers within the State. To gain efficiency, 

ESOs’ E-GIS is sharing resources at the NOC and its 

GCDB is sharing resources at the Montana State Office. 

BLMs ESO will continue to focus on cost reduction and 

standardization as an approach to leverage technological 

efficiency.

The ESO is responsible for the General Land Office 

Records Automation System (GLORAS). The GLORAS is 

a national application that is comprised of a collection 

of subsystems that store information about original land 

patents, survey plats, field notes, and land status records. 

Data in the GLORAS is not an official record, but an 

image of the original document. This system, available 

to a large end-user customer base, is read-only and a 

convenient way to provide access to historical, original 

documents. Through an e-Government site, a premier 

virtual public room and visitors center is available, 

providing answers to public inquiries about land title 

and survey records, as well as general information about 

the BLM.

The General Land Office (GLO) Records website is 

the most widely used site in the BLM and one of the 

most popular sites in the Department of the Interior. 

The information contained in the system is a priceless 

resource for natural resource agencies, land surveyors, 

historians, title companies, and genealogists. The site has 

received more than 10.5 million visitors, amounting to 

more than 425 million page hits and 187 million images 

viewed since its inception in May 1998.

IRM accomplishments in support of the BLM Eastern 

States Office include:

•	 Recabled the ESO network and phone system. The

entire cable infrastructure was upgraded, providing the 

ESO with more functionality, stability, and decreased 

errors on the networks. 

•	 Worked to get the GLO MTP/HI module developed,

tested, and installed on the GLO system. Over 50,000 

Land Status Records are now available for the States 

of Montana, Colorado, Idaho, North Dakota, and South 

Dakota. 

•	 Completed an ESO Oil and Gas Lease Sale program.

•	 Increased efficiency of the server room by successfully

installing server virtualization in the GLO environment. 

Realized over 1000 watts of power savings in the 

server room by replacing four computers with the use 

of virtual servers.

•	 Completed the Security Test and Evaluation for the

ESO, the Lower Potomac Field Station, and the GLO 

Records automation project.

•	 Recertified GLORAS for 3 years.

•	 Supported timely completion of both routine and

complex public requests for information under FOIA.

•	 Achieved 100 percent compliance in meeting both

Role-Based Security Training and Annual Security 

Awareness Training for all personnel using IT resources 

in the performance of their duties.

•	 Provided IT support for offsite events and Internet

adoptions for the Wild Horse and Burro Program.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 29

I D A H O

The BLM is steward of nearly 11.6 million acres of public 

lands in Idaho, representing about 22 percent of the 

State’s land area. The public lands contribute in different 

ways to the quality of life for Idaho residents and visitors, 

to the livelihood of many citizens, to the economy of local 

communities, and to State and national revenues. These 

lands also possess important environmental, cultural, 

economic, and recreational resources. 

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Idaho 

include:

•	 Advanced Enterprise GIS in Idaho with State and Field

Office staff specialists completing population and 

publication of multiple, uniform statewide data sets. 

This information has been automated and resides on 

centralized computer servers, helping to ensure that 

Idaho is effectively and accurately providing data 

for use in multistate and Bureauwide Enterprise GIS 

processes.

•	 Improved processes for managing the ever increasing

workload associated with growing numbers of 

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The 

complexities of FOIA requests, as well as the 

potential for appeals and litigation, have elevated the 

importance of improved efficiency in the BLM’s ability 

to respond to requests and, ultimately, to put in place 

mechanisms that may reduce the volume of future 

requests.

•	 Implemented FOIA process improvements that can

significantly reduce processing labor and material 

costs, identify and prioritize records and data for 

electronic conversion, collect and/or automate priority 

data, and facilitate public access to data through web 

repositories or “electronic reading rooms.”

•	 Advanced the use of discussion and collaborative

applications of Microsoft SharePoint© to support 

activities such as the China Mountain Wind Power 

Development Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 

Idaho budget, GIS users, telecommunications, and IRM 

system administration.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 31

M O N T A N A

The BLM in Montana, with additional management 

responsibilities for public lands in North Dakota and 

South Dakota, has the unique challenge of managing 

resources for 8.3 million acres of public lands over vast 

geographic areas that are sparsely populated. With the 

relatively small Montana BLM workforce, the agency 

must rely on exceptional communications, collaboration, 

and partnership with the public and stakeholder groups.

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Montana 

include:

•	 Supported data preparation and the use of GIS

technology to complete the resource analysis for five 

ongoing RMPs. GIS technology was used to provide 

visuals and analyses for public meetings and briefings.

•	 Established a GIS Steering Committee, which has

completed development of a geospatial strategic plan 

for the BLM Montana/Dakotas.

•	 Initiated a contract to support future development

of an RMP by the Missoula Field Office by providing 

spatial data categorization, cleanup, and migration to 

geodatabases. The process resulted in the recovery of 

comprehensive spatial data on the location of noxious 

weeds and previous treatment activities. The work 

dramatically reduced the time and costs associated 

with developing information necessary for the RMP.

•	 Provided technical refreshment for centralized GIS

servers, increasing the performance of GIS applications 

while reducing the computing requirements of 

employees’ local machines, reducing data duplication 

and the need for local storage throughout the State, 

and consolidating the maintenance of software. 

•	 Developed measures to improve efficiency in wireless

communications through geographic communications 

plans at the Field Office level. These plans will address 

communications equipment needs for such activities 

as resource management planning efforts, monitoring 

initiatives, oil and gas development, recreation 

management, and other resource use issues.

•	 Consolidated GIS software maintenance plans

producing a savings of nearly $300,000 over a 7-year 

period.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 33

N E V A D A

The BLM manages nearly 48 million acres of public 

lands in Nevada. This equates to roughly 67 percent of 

Nevada’s land base. Extremes in climate, population, and 

terrain, such as the vast expanse of sparsely populated 

mountains and high desert valleys, make delivery of IT 

services and systems a unique challenge to the IRM 

community in Nevada.

Nevada is seen as a frontier for the renewable energy 

industry. The open spaces make it ideal for large wind 

and solar farms. In addition, the geothermal potential is 

just beginning to be realized within the State.

The public looks to the BLM for excellence in land 

management to ensure equitable, conscientious, and 

intelligent use of their lands. IRM has contributed much 

to help the Nevada workforce deliver quality products 

and value for the taxpayer:

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Nevada include:

•	 Instrumental in the creation of an internal Microsoft

SharePoint site to track funding and expenditures 

related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009 (ARRA).

•	 Developed a publicly accessible interactive

database for Nevada’s official public land records 

(http://www.nv.blm.gov/LandRecords/).

•	 Continued to realize efficiencies in the use

and management of IT including consolidating 

government-owned standalone printers, copiers, and 

scanners into leased multifunction machines. These 

systems have increased privacy and saved the Nevada 

State Office more than $20,000 per year in printer and 

copier costs. 

•	 Modernized the Nevada State Office Learning Center

with laptop computers to accommodate increased 

student use and to provide contingency options for the 

continuity of government.

•	 Instrumental in deploying a case record tracking

system throughout the State.

•	 Provided specialized IT assistance in support of BLM

law enforcement and law enforcement personnel 

from multiple jurisdictions to ensure public safety 

and protection of resources during high-attendance 

recreational activities.

•	 Supported improvements in a land mobile radio

network with 42 mountaintop systems, 5 fire 

dispatch centers, 600 portable handheld radios, and 

approximately 600 mobile radios installed in vehicles.

•	 Updated mountaintop buildings for two land

mobile radio sites to ensure that investments in 

communications for field-going personnel remain 

operational and reliable.

•	 Deployed additional frequencies for flight following

and local communications in one district to help 

mitigate congested radio traffic. Developed plans and 

requested frequencies to deploy the model in other 

districts throughout the State.

•	 Established user groups and action plans for the

Nevada Telecommunications program to facilitate the 

rapid response to system issues and improvements.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 35

N E W M E X I C O

About one-third of New Mexico’s land— just over 

26 million acres—is federally-owned and the BLM is 

responsible for managing 13.4 million acres of these 

public lands. The BLM also manages all of the State’s 

Federal subsurface mineral interests and a variety of 

other programs in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. New 

Mexico ranks second, behind Wyoming, in energy 

production. Other important uses of the public lands 

that serve public interests include livestock grazing, 

recreation, and conservation of wildlife habitat for many 

diverse species, including threatened and endangered 

species.

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM New Mexico 

include:

•	 Developed a software solution pilot program that

automates field-office- level business processes by 

integrating IT and GIS environments. The result of 

the pilot was a series of best management practices 

(BMPs) for a Resource Management Decision 

Support System (RMDSS). This system supports the 

informational needs of resource specialists on the 

ground as well as providing a decision support tool for 

upper levels of the organization. 

•	 Began consolidation of services and applications

on the statewide server infrastructure, improving 

performance and gaining efficiencies in costs of labor, 

hardware, and maintenance. 

•	 Expanded the functionality of a web-based fire

management application, NMFIRE, to include a fire 

information blog that will allow Fire Information 

Specialists and those on the fire line to post 

information on current wildfires. The site will also 

allow the public to comment or to post questions. 

The site will have the capability to display photos and 

maps from other wildland fire information sites.

•	 Developed a comprehensive IT solution in support of

BLM Indian Trust responsibilities.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 37

O R E G O N 

The BLM manages 16.1 million acres of public land 

in Oregon, about 25 percent of the State, and more 

than 400,000 acres in Washington. The agency also 

administers 34.3 million acres of subsurface minerals 

in both States. East of the Cascade Mountains is 

high desert, where BLM lands are characterized by 

sagebrush, prairie grasses, and juniper that offer cover 

and forage for wildlife and livestock. To the west of 

the Cascades, the BLM manages more than 2.4 million 

acres of deciduous and evergreen forests, wetlands, and 

coastal beaches. The agency’s parcels are distributed in 

a checkerboard ownership pattern, interspersed with 

private, State, Tribal, and other Federal lands. A significant 

portion of the BLM’s acreage in this region is referred 

to as O&C lands, named after a 1937 land grant for an 

Oregon-to-California railroad that was never constructed. 

These lands provide fish and wildlife habitat, recreational 

opportunities, and an array of forest products. 

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Oregon 

include:

•	 Continued pioneering work as a Center of Excellence

in Enterprise GIS. Activities included the use of 

geospatial data to support the Department’s National 

Sage Grouse Conservation Project, entailing the 

consolidation of GIS data from across the Great Basin 

and the Pacific Northwest.

•	 Provided specialized GIS assistance for decision

support analysis of endangered species issues under 

review by the Secretary of the Interior.

•	 Participated in the development of a National Timber

Sales Information System.

•	 Provided specialized IT and GIS support and acquired

and deployed a GIS CITRIX© framework allowing 

the State to simultaneously develop six RMPs. 

The expanded integration of technology in the 

planning process aided in the completion of these 

highly complex plans, while reducing labor support 

requirements by 50 percent.

•	 Completed an IT business process analysis (BPA) that

resulted in a reduction in administrative workload 

requirements and a 30 percent reduction in total IT 

staffing from FY 2005 levels.

•	 Completed statewide consolidation of IT, resulting in

the elimination of IT and GIS contract services, the 

hiring of additional BLM IT and GIS personnel, and a 

net reduction of 16 percent in labor costs.

•	 Conducted a requirements baseline study and

inventory of all personal computers, resulting in a 

22 percent reduction in computers.

•	 Completed 13 Privacy Impact Assessments ensuring

that more than 200 data bases maintained by the 

BLM in Oregon and Washington are in full compliance 

with Federal privacy regulations.

•	 Supported timely completion of both routine and

complex public requests for information under FOIA.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 39

U T A H

The BLM manages nearly 22.9 million acres of public 

lands in Utah, representing about 42 percent of the 

State. Located mostly in western and southeastern Utah, 

these lands are varied, ranging from rolling uplands to 

sprawling desert lowlands. Utah’s public lands feature 

some of the most spectacular landscapes on the 

continent. With boundless opportunities for recreation, 

these lands also offer a wealth of energy and mineral 

resources, livestock forage, and abundant natural, 

historical, and cultural resources.

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Utah include:

•	 Implemented the BLM’s Enterprise GIS for 300 users in

all Utah Field Offices.

•	 Provided IT and GIS specialized support for a variety of

natural resource management activities including the 

450,000 acre Milford Flat Emergency Stabilization and 

Rehabilitation project and wind energy environmental 

assessments.

•	 Provided support for use of remote sensing technology

to map and classify the key attributes of over 300,000 

acres of woodland vegetation on public lands. The 

information is readily accessible by forestry program 

specialists and other resource specialists, saving time 

and reducing the cost of field work for evaluating land 

use and conditions in the field.

•	 Assisted in developing extensive mapping products

in support of the Washington County Growth and 

Conservation Act of 2008 and provisions relating to 

land exchanges and wilderness designation.

•	 Supported IT and telecommunications services

to assist BLM Law Enforcement Officers in their 

enforcement duties on public lands.

•	 Expanded video teleconferencing capability to

enhance statewide communications and collaboration 

while producing significant reductions in travel costs.

•	 Initiated IT hardware and software upgrades to

support all BLM employees and activities, including 

a multiyear program to replace outdated telephone 

systems with Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) using 

existing bandwidth to provide more efficient telephone 

communication services.

•	 Provided specialized IT assistance to the Fluid Minerals

Branch Oil and Gas Leasing Team to review and verify 

authorized and pending oil and gas lease data for 

two-thirds of the State.

•	 Achieved 100 percent compliance in meeting both

Role-Based Security Training and Annual Security 

Awareness Training for all personnel using IT resources 

in the performance of their duties.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 41

W Y O M I N G

In Wyoming—the ninth largest state in geographic area 

with the smallest population of all 50 States—the BLM 

manages 18.4 million acres of public lands and 41.6 

million acres of subsurface mineral interests. The public 

lands in Wyoming contain world-class energy and mineral 

resources. These resources are not only crucial to the 

Nation’s energy and economic security; they are an important source of economic activity and employment opportunity for the State and local communities. Wyoming also 

features world-class recreational opportunities, forage 

for livestock and wildlife, habitat for a diversity of species 

(including many at-risk species), and bountiful natural, 

cultural and scenic resources. Tourism is Wyoming’s 

second largest industry after energy production. 

IRM accomplishments in support of BLM Wyoming 

include:

•	 Maintained and upgraded an IT and GIS infrastructure

that supports the management of BLM’s extensive 

oil and gas leasing program and more than 19,500 

Federal leases, including oil leases that account for 

nearly 30 percent of the Nation’s onshore production.

•	 Managed applications of BLM IT systems and of

commercial and government IT packages that 

support an extensive coal leasing program, resource 

management activities associated with hydrology, 

maintenance of Master Title Plats, and multiple layers 

of geospatial data for GIS.

•	 Supported improvements in a land mobile radio

network with 23 mountaintop repeaters, 3 fire 

dispatch centers, 400 portable handheld radios, and 

approximately 450 mobile radios installed in vehicles.

•	 Provided specialized IT assistance in support of BLM

law enforcement and law enforcement personnel 

from multiple jurisdictions to ensure public safety 

and protection of resources in conjunction with highattendance recreational activities. 

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 43

N A T I O N A L O P E R A T I O N S C E N T E R

The centralized service organizations at the National 

Operations Center (NOC) are organized around four 

business lines: Human Resources Services, Information 

Resources Management Support Services, Resource 

Services, and Business Services. Each one of the 

business lines is responsible for supporting the delivery 

of hundreds of products and services throughout the 

Bureau on a daily basis.

The Division of Information Resources Management 

Support Services has the operational responsibility for 

the development and delivery of national information 

technology (IT) capabilities and services needed to 

meet Bureauwide requirements. The Division oversees 

the creation of national IT infrastructure operations 

and implementation plans that are in compliance with 

DOI and BLM Chief Information Officer strategies and 

priorities, the integration of IT operations with partner 

agency systems and infrastructure, and the development 

and maintenance of BLM national applications.

Bureau Infrastructure and Operations Support

•	 Server Management

Provided enterprise management, support, and life 

cycle maintenance for all national servers located 

at the NOC and in all field offices. Updated data 

storage and backup capabilities based on enterprise 

requirements. Administered Active Directory accounts 

and provided field system administrator support.

•	 National Help Desk (Customer Support)

The national Help Desk/Customer Support team 

provides initial Bureauwide help desk support and 

routing as a result of the implemented help desk MEO.

•	 Engineering 

Provided support for ESRI, ePlanning, AIX/Linux 

operating systems, National Applications, Fire 

applications, WO-500, Communique, Helium Program, 

Bureau IT Architecture, Human Capital Management 

System, NIFC-NOC Continuity of Operations, and 

DOI-initiated testing that included Data at Rest, Dell 

Precision T7400 GIS Workstation Hardware Baseline, 

Gateway Tablet PC Hardware Baseline, and NCS 

Aurora Telecommuter Widescreen Hardware Baseline.

•	 EGIS

For E-GIS, a 5 percent per year reduction in BLM’s 

share of the total payment to DOI for ESRI license 

fees and for Enterprise Geographic Information 

Management (EGIM) support was negotiated. The 

Division negotiated a quantity discount, on behalf of 

the DOI, for the GPS data collection hardware and 

software with Trimble, Inc. 

•	 Centrally Funded Hardware and Software 

Managed all centrally funded hardware and software 

maintenance purchases.

•	 Enterprise Administration

Accomplished FBMS Desktop Deployment; Microsoft 

Office 2007 BLM Implementation; Microsoft SharePoint 

2007 Migration; Microsoft Exchange Pilot/Architecture 

Design; SharePoint Administration and Architecture; 

design, test, and implement FDCC Security Settings; 

trained the CM&A group to perform audit log checks 

and audit log reporting; installed Symantec Quarantine

Server; participated on the DOI Symantec team, the DOI 

Active Directory team, the DOI Domain Administrator 

team, and the DOI FDCC Tiger team 

National Applications

•	 Managing for Excellence (M4E)

Transitioned approximately 100 websites and 

applications to National Applications including CQ and

ePlanning; completed a transition plan for National 
44 I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s

Applications and websites; and 

developed analysis, documentation, 

and security for websites.

•	 Field Inspection Handheld

In addition to the continued support 

for the Automated Fluid Minerals 

Support System (AFMSS), Field 

Inspection Handheld was deployed to 

Energy Act Pilot Offices for field trials. 

•	 Communiqué

	 CQ was reconfigured to SUN platform

and load balanced. Certification 

and Accreditation was completed, 

and PCMB and Exhibit 300 were 

developed. CQ replication was

converted to use SSL and Information 

exchange with www.recdata.gov.

•	 ePlanning 

ePlanning transitioned to National 

Applications. Established a test 

environment for ePlanning, completed 

security impact assessment and 

508 compliance for deployment of 

2.0.2a,working on development 

of Total Cost of Ownership, and 

completed a Corrective Action Plan.

•	 Facility Asset Management

System

Provided continuing support of the 

DOI Single Platform MAXIMO (SPM) 

Initiative and DOI Financial Business 

Management System (FBMS) Data 

Conversion. Distribution of annual 

maintenance funding for BLM facilities 

was based on FAMS data. FAMS 

was used for a pilot project effort for 

tracking actual annual maintenance 

costs, and was the primary source 

of information for BLM’s 5-Year 

Deferred Maintenance and Capital 

Improvement Plan.

•	 Helium Production Data

Acquisition and Monitoring

Continued operation and maintenance 

of Helium Production Data Acquisition 

and Monitoring (HPDAM).The team 

completed pilot site hardware upgrades 

for Electronic Flow Meter and satellite 

data communications from the pilot 

site to the BLM Amarillo Field Office, 

acquired automatic data polling 

software for use by the BLM Amarillo 

Field Office, and awarded contract for 

reporting software capability.

•	 Legacy Rehost 2000

Continued operation and maintenance 

of all Legacy Rehost 2000 (LR2000) 

systems. A new Communication Site 

website has been launched for the 

public, and LR2000 incorporated 

additional requirements for the new 

Geothermal Data Standards.

•	 Rangeland Improvement Project

System (RIPS)

Continued operation and maintenance 

of RIPS. RIPS has been rearchitected 

and adhoc data gathering has been 

supported.

•	 National Oil and Gas Lease Sale

System (LSS)

The National Applications LSS team 

developed, reviewed and updated the 

System Requirements Specification 

(SRS) document for the Internet 

Auction Capability, and issued Oil 

and Gas Lease Internet Auction Pilot 

(OGLIAP) contract.

•	 Protection and Response

Information System (PRIS)

Continued operation and maintenance 

for PRIS.

•	 Abandoned Mines and Site

Cleanup Module (AMSCM)

ontinued operation and maintenance 

for AMSCM. NA conducted training 

for the HazMat users at State offices. 

Responded to General Accounting 

Office (GAO) inquiries about mining plans data and data quality, and 

responded to Inspector General (IG) 

inquiries about the relationship of 

active mining claims and abandoned 

mines.

•	 Remote Data Acquisition for Well

Production (RDAWP)

Provided support for operation and 

enhancement of daily well production 

data collection and worked with 

industry to refine requirements. 

•	 Oil and Gas

In the area of oil and gas, Indian 

data bases have been migrated 

back into AFMSS and WIS; daily 

well production data drops were 

initiated from EnCana in support of 

the RDAWP Pilot Evaluation; a draft 

of System Requirements Specification 

(SRS) for Internet Auction Capability 
I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 45

with customer was created; and an 

associated Statement of Work was 

submitted. 

•	 Geothermal

Geothermal Cases, Operators, wells, 

inspections, and other geothermal 

operations data are now contained 

in AFMSS as a Geothermal Resources 

Application Support System (GRASS) 

data base application. Requirements 

incorporated for the new Geothermal 

Data Standards to comply with the 

National Energy Policy Act. 

•	 Wind and Solar Energy

Developed GeoCommunicator 

mapping enhancements to improve 

the display for wind and solar energy 

parcels.

I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s 47

I X . R E A C H I N G O U T T O T H E F U T U R E

The IRM community is dedicated not only 

to meeting the current needs of the BLM 

and its workforce for information services, 

but also to positioning the agency to 

meet the challenges and opportunities 

of the 21st century by capitalizing on 

emerging technologies.

It is essential to advance a vision for 

the use and adaptation of emerging 

technologies—including nationwide 

broadband Internet access as proposed 

by the President’s Technology Agenda and 

the American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act—that can have a positive and 

profound impact on every facet of the 

agency’s mission. This vision includes the 

following: 

•	 More functional web forms that allow

for more thorough public comment 

and timelier processing of public 

comments

•	 Real-time updates to the AFMSS by

Petroleum Engineering Technicians 

•	 Increased ease of use, and reduced

costs of sales and lease auctions 

through a more robust, functional, 

and user-friendly web application for 

online oil and gas lease auctions and 

online payment of leasing fees

•	 Expanded use of Enterprise GIS

for processing applications for the 

development of renewable energy 

from wind, solar, geothermal, and 

biofuels

•	 Improved outreach to the public in the

form of rapid external communications for general public information 

and for crisis management

•	 Virtual tours of recreational areas

•	 Real-time monitoring of antiquity

sites, mountaintop facilities, and 

remote buildings 

•	 Service to multiple law enforcement

activities via monitoring with remote 

digital cameras, communication of 

All Points Bulletin (APB) information 

to and from other governments and 

State agencies for instantaneous 

communication with BLM Law 

Enforcement Specialists and Rangers

•	 Video town hall meetings with field

managers and enhanced live or 

prerecorded outreach sessions for 

visitor centers and field offices on 

public lands issues

•	 On-demand mapping and real time

transmission of cadastral survey 

measurements and field notes

•	 Online public access to voluminous

public records and routinelyrequested FOIA documents

•	 Enhanced throughput and

connectivity of rural workforce 

employees in remote areas

•	 Improved administrative processing of

mission support and financial systems

•	 Streaming of video for web-based,

on-demand training

•	 Plant species identification and

noxious weed control as well as 

Threatened and Endangered Species 

identification, monitoring, sampling, 

and reporting

•	 Broadband transmission of radio

signals to Internet portals and 

dispatch centers

•	 Electronic publication of NEPA

documents, planning updates, and 

newsletters posted to websites as 

well as notifications of document 

availability and future events issued 

electronically

•	 Expanded scientific opportunities

through the use of collaborative Web 

2.0 technologies (e.g., wikis, blogs) 

that allow various communities of 

interest to interact, understand, and 

contribute to the cultural, ecological, 

and scientific value of public land 

resources

•	 Live streaming video feeds of the

BLM’s iconic landscapes

•	 Increased capacity for podcasting

that allows the BLM to develop selfguided tours of popular sites and 

attractions on the public lands

•	 Video conferencing and web

meetings that allow for all interested 

citizens to take part in public 

meetings

•	 Improved access to BLM information

and to web meetings that allow 

American Indian communities more 

direct interaction with BLM, thus 

strengthening the agency’s ability to 

deliver on Indian Trust responsibilities
48 I R M A c t i v i t i e s a n d A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s

•	 Improved tools to aid in addressing

climate change

•	 Delivery of more sophisticated and

more detailed geospatial information 

directly to partners and the public 

through web applications that 

display climatology data geospatially, 

promoting a better understanding 

of the effects of climate change on 

specific landscapes and contributing 

to the formulation of appropriate 

actions and responses

•	 Engaging the interest of youth in

the public lands and resources and 

promoting an ethic of resource 

stewardship through the use of 

electronic social media commonly 

used by youth as a primary means of 

communication and interaction

•	 Expanded reach and ease of use for

BLM scientific databases, so that 

the public has better access to all of 

BLM’s information

•	 Enhanced stewardship incentives and

expanded partnerships to support 

BLM’s statutory mission of managing 

and protecting the Nation’s wild 

horse and burro populations

•	 Expanded partnerships with horseadvocacy groups through the use of 

blogging and social computing (e.g., 

Facebook, Twitter)

•	 Increased convenience of sales and

adoptions and reduced transaction 

costs through a more robust, 

functional, and user-friendly web 

application for online horse auctions

•	 Increased effectiveness of locationaware applications and technologies 

such as radio frequency identification 

(RFID) that enable the tracking of 

wild horses and burros

•	 Improved IT tools for wildland fire

management

•	 Improved delivery of high-resolution

satellite and aircraft imagery of fire 

areas to the public

•	 Wikis that allow fire officials from

various agencies and levels of 

government, as well as informed 

members of the public, to share 

knowledge and awareness of safety 

information

•	 Wireless access points in remote

areas providing real-time data 

to improve incident command 

communications

•	 Use of social media to allow rapid

delivery of alerts to a wide audience 

and allow real-time or near-real-time 

response to inquiries, concerns, and 

alerts

•	 Wireless broadband access for

locations that are not easily connected 

via a traditional wired cable 

connection such as historical sites, 

remote horse corrals, environmentally 

or otherwise sensitive locations, and 

incident response locations

•	 Resource tracking via live GPS and

GIS functionality

•	 Real-time fire perimeter mapping

with aircraft or unmanned aerial 

vehicles with data feeds to the local 

responsible office and to the incident 

command post

•	 Broadband services that support

interoperability capabilities between 

State, private, and Federal emergency 

responders in urban interface areas

•	 Broadband services to provide

disaster recovery alternatives for BLM 

sites in the event of an internal wide 

area network failure

In conclusion, this report was developed 

to showcase the myriad creative and 

innovative uses of technology in service 

across the BLM. These implementations 

are the results of years of cumulative 

efforts by current and former employees. 

Their work has provided the building 

blocks of continuity to ensure the 

successes of the past, to record lessons 

learned, and to build on those lessons 

for the future. As trends of globalization, 

information accessibility, and distribution 

of the human element continue, the BLM 

will play an ever increasingly important 

role in the resolution of conflicting

demands upon a finite amount of land 

and the precious renewable and nonrenewable resources those lands hold. 

Technology and all the promises these 

fields of human endeavors offer will 

provide a source of services and yet to be 

discovered ways to benefit the American 

public, the international community, and 

the Nation in serving BLM’s mission. 

As can be seen from the pages in this 

report, the past is filled with successes. 

It is BLM’s hope that this continues long 

into the future in years yet to come.
The mention of company names, trade names, or commercial products does not constitute 

endorsement or recommendation for use by the Federal Government.