Vale District BLM Welcomes New Malheur Field Manager
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, April 28th, 2023 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
VALE , OR– (Release from the Bureau of Land Management) Vale District Bureau of Land Management welcomes Jonah Blustain as the Malheur Field Manager, following the retirement of Thomas “Pat” Ryan.
“It is an honor to join the Malheur Field Office team,” Blustain said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with our stakeholders to balance responsible development of our public lands with the thoughtful management of resources that are too special to disturb.”
A native of Boston, Mass., Blustain discovered the rich history and resource diversity of the west as a graduate student at the University of Nevada in Reno.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in archaeology and anthropology and a master’s degree in anthropology, he began his career in the private sector. During that time, Blustain served on a taskforce to develop industry guidelines and standards for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which were subsequently adopted by the Nevada U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service.
In 2016, Blustain joined the Bureau of Land Management as the archaeologist for the Tonopah Field Office, later moving up to assistant field manager in 2019, overseeing the non-renewable resources department, including mining, oil and gas, geothermal, lands and realty, cultural resources and recreation.
“Jonah brings a wealth of knowledge in minerals management and archaeology,” District Manager Wayne Monger said. “He will be a great asset as we consider new projects and proposals for the Malheur Field Office.”
He is excited to continue his public service with the BLM, and work through the challenges of managing public lands for present and future generations. He and his wife Cassy enjoy spending time with their daughter, Alice, and gardening and preserving food.
Ryan, who has a background in range management, retired at the end of 2022 after 16 years as the Malheur Field Manager. The Malheur Field Office encompasses 4.6 million acres in the southeastern corner of Oregon.
For additional information, please contact Larisa Bogardus at 541-523-1407 or lbogardus@blm.gov.
