Bureau of Land Management Wins Chairman's Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation

Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana State University, Senator Conrad Burns Also Honored For ‘Undaunted Stewardship®’ Effort that Opens Private Lands to Heritage Travelers

Preserving America’s Heritage

(5/18/05) ANNAPOLIS, MD—Undaunted Stewardship®, a Montana program created by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana State University, and U.S. Senator Conrad Burns, today received the Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation.

The announcement and award presentation took place today in the Maryland State House during the spring business meeting of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).

“Montana’s landscape today vividly recalls the pristine country traversed by the Lewis and Clark expedition 200 years ago, in large measure because of wise stewardship on both private and public lands,” said John L. Nau, III, chairman of the ACHP. “Just as public land stewards protect and provide reasonable access to sites important to our heritage, private landowners in Montana are encouraging appropriate heritage travel to historic sites on their property through the Undaunted Stewardship® program while preserving and enhancing cultural and natural resources. This is a wonderful model for similar partnerships across the nation.”

Undaunted Stewardship® was originated by Montana’s ranching and agricultural community and officially began in April 2001. It is experiencing steady growth as more landowners join the program, which recognizes and encourages stewardship of natural and cultural resources by private landowners. Undaunted Stewardship® spurs development of management plans. It also assists landowners in creating information kiosks and other interpretive resources for public visitation and education on private lands containing historic sites, and other associated efforts.

For more information on the Undaunted Stewardship® program, visit www.undauntedstewardship.com.

About the ACHP:
The ACHP, an independent federal agency, promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of the nation’s historic resources and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. It also provides a forum for influencing federal activities, programs, and policies that impact historic properties. In addition, the ACHP has a key role in carrying out the Administration’s Preserve America program. Visit www.achp.gov for more information.

Undaunted Stewardship® is a cooperative and multi-faceted program led by federal, state and private sector agencies, seeking to ensure the long-term maintenance of the environmental quality and economic productivity of privately-owned agricultural landscapes, especially in areas rich in history along the Lewis & Clark Trail in Montana.