An installation ceremony for the Bureau of Land Management’s new Tres Rios Field Manager Derek Padilla is scheduled for May 8 at 10 a.m. at the Mancos Community Center, 130 Grand Avenue.

Members of the community are welcome to attend, and are asked to RSVP by emailing dmagee@blm.gov.

As Tres Rios Field manager, Padilla will oversee more than 600,000 acres of public land and 2 million acres of federal mineral land, according to the BLM’s news release. This will also include minerals management on 800,000 acres on tribal land.

For the past 11 years, Padilla has been a district ranger for the Dolores Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest. Before moving to Dolores with his family, Padilla previously worked as district ranger in Cuba, New Mexico, range land management specialist in Arizona and supervisory range land specialist in New Mexico.

Padilla also worked as forest supervisor for the Gila National Forest. The news release noted that his experience in wildland fire management would be invaluable in Southwest Colorado.

Padilla graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s degree in range science and a minor in biology.

“He looks forward to continuing the great work that employees of the Tres Rios Office have been carrying out over the years and is glad he will be able to continue working with BLM partners in the management of the great resources that southwestern Colorado provides for the American people,” the news release said.

“The Southwest District is excited to welcome Derek Padilla to our corner of BLM Colorado,” it added.