When Roland Robison retires Monday as director of the Upper Colorado River Region of the Bureau of Reclamation, the people of Utah and the West will be losing one of their most knowledgable and effective voices in the federal bureaucracy.
In a 38-year career of state and federal service, Robison has dealt with land and water resource management and has seen dramatic changes. They including the blossoming of environmental consciousness that is still the subject of major controversy in the West.Although his job evolved over the years into something of a hot seat, Robison has made friends and left a positive impression. Always a gentleman, willing to listen to differing viewpoints, he has what one observer describes as "dignified patience."
Part of his success has been due to a keen personal interest in the issues and making sure that he knows what he is talking about.
Robison is a graduate of Brigham Young University and the University of Utah Law School. He served as a deputy attorney general for Utah and then as the administrative assistant to then-Gov. George D. Clyde and administrative assistant to Rep. Laurence J. Burton, R-Utah.
From there, he joined the ranks of the federal government, eventually rising to Utah state director of the Bureau of Land Management, where he served for six years before becoming deputy director of the national BLM in Washington, D.C. His current assignment with the Bureau of Reclamation began in 1990.
During this long career, Robison saw not only the emergence of environmental laws dealing with land management but also such mandates as the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and many others. All made his job more complex and controversial.
Despite this, Robison won many recognitions, including the Distinguished Executive Award, Presidential Rank, conferred by the U.S. president and the highest honor that can be given to a federal employee.
Utahns owe Robison a hearty "thank you" for his work as a manager and trustee of public lands. We wish him well in his retirement years.