People visit the outdoors for many reasons. Some come for the quiet. Others come for the views. Most come because these places make them feel more like themselves. What many do not see are the people who work hard every day to care for America’s hardest-working public lands. The volunteers who pull weeds, check fences, flag damaged trails, and walk mile after mile with a notebook in hand.
Janice Shepherd is one such person. A volunteer whose commitment to the Bureau of Land Management’s Grand Junction Field office is having a phenomenal real-world impact, supporting these beautiful landscapes and her community.
Janice grew up in Montréal and built a career in the early founding years of personal computing. She moved to the United States in the 1980s, and whenever she and her husband could get away, they headed west. They backpacked, camped, and loved the beautiful landscapes of the high desert and the backcountry. Eventually, they moved to Grand Junction to live closer to the places that had given them so much joy.
It did not take long for Janice to find her way to the fantastic people who take care of the surrounding public lands – the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Janice’s introduction to the BLM came when friends mentioned how local land managers were seeking community feedback on a travel management plan that would affect trails around Grand Junction, and they hoped to hear from people who knew the area well. She offered her feedback, wanting to do her part to support the places she loved.
Through the public comment process, Janice learned how much the BLM values and utilizes collaboration with local communities. She also discovered that there were many more ways to get involved. She soon began volunteering in more hands-on ways. She’s spent time in the field with archaeologists and helped with restoration projects. Janice walked fence lines and checked stock ponds. She created clever trail signs to encourage visitors to practice Leave No Trace and respect area closures. She noticed details others might miss and shared them with staff who depended on accurate information to make informed decisions.
Janice’s efforts earned her a 2016 BLM Volunteer of the Year Award.
“‘Super volunteer’ does not begin to capture the scope of Janice’s contributions to the public’s land. Whether she is inventorying or inspecting range improvement projects or updating public land records, her impact is felt across the Grand Junction Field Office,” said Stacey Colon, Field Manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Grand Junction Field Office.
If you ask Janice why she continues to support the BLM, she begins with the landscapes. Before long, she is celebrating the BLM staff. She appreciates how committed the staff at the Grand Junction office is to their multi-use mission.
Often, the public views public lands through the lens of national parks and national forests. But our nation’s rich tapestry of public lands houses so much more. The BLM is the largest public lands manager in the country and is home to some of the most iconic landscapes and hardworking places in the world. Some 80 million people visit BLM managed public lands every year. The Agency’s multi-use, sustained yield mission balances uses like energy development, livestock grazing, recreation, and timber harvesting while ensuring natural, cultural, and historic resources are maintained.
Over the years, the men and women who make up the Grand Junction BLM team have become an anchor for Janice. She describes them as “being like family.” And Janice’s support for the Grand Junction office has grown far beyond the hours she spends on the land and at the office. She has kindly donated funding to public lands through The Foundation for America’s Public Lands. For Janice, contributing financially is simply another way to help the team have what they need to do their work well and to honor the staff who have done so much for her community.
“We go to visit these beautiful landscapes, but our wealth is in the people,” is how she describes the importance of BLM.
“Janice has been a volunteer longer than many BLM staff have worked here, and her enthusiasm for public lands management continues to inspire both our team and the public,” said Isaac Pittman, assistant field manager.
Janice’s volunteerism and passion are creating a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful for all she contributes to our shared public lands.
Photo credit Janice Shepherd
