DOINews: BLM Wilderness Specialist and Photographs Recognized on Monumental Day

Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands under the stars, taken by BLM wilderness specialist Bob Wick after Wednesday's celebration of the land designation.

On Wednesday, March 12, national leaders and community residents alike gathered along the California coast to celebrate the designation of Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands. They gathered to celebrate their years of partnership and conservation of the area, and they gathered to celebrate their collective role in protecting the area for years to come.

But after the speeches and the performances and the stories, Bureau of Land Management wilderness specialist Bob Wick did what he does best. In the quiet of the coastal night, Wick snapped a few more shots of the amazing lands that he loves and has spent his career protecting.

For BLM employees – and much of the public as well – Wick's photos are like a family photo album. Through them, we travel to national monuments and ghost towns and remote wilderness areas that we may never visit, but know well, through his eyes and lens.

On March 12, Wick had multiple reasons to celebrate. He joined his BLM colleagues and the California community in celebration of the Point Arena-Stornetta public land designation. Wick also discussed his photography and the beauty and value of our public lands with CBS, who featured his story and photography on the evening news.

"I love the scenic beauty of our American landscapes, especially the West," Wick says in the interview. "It's some of the most sublime terrain in North America. You feel just this big in the world, because nature is so huge," he says, holding his fingers close together.

Watch and read the CBS interview with Wick at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amateur-photographers-images-helped-preserve-national-treasure/.

And view the CBS slideshow of Wick's photos – California's spectacular coast - that, as CBS news writes, "will make you feel like you're there:" http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/californias-spectacular-coast/.

March 14, 2014
By: BLM-National