Randy Rasmussen

Randy Rasmussen has been Backcountry Horsemen of America’s (BCHA) Advisor for Public Lands & Recreation since 2012. He assists BCHA’s 30 state organizations to advance initiatives and strengthen partnerships that promote the sustained use and enjoyment of the backcountry and Wilderness “by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage.” This includes recognition of the unique national “birthright” enjoyed by all Americans—where every citizen enjoys partial ownership of an unparalleled system of national public lands.

Randy’s work includes strengthening BCHA’s partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. He is a key player in BCHA’s efforts to promote solutions to the trail maintenance crisis on our national forests and works closely with regional and national partners to demonstrate a groundswell of public support for the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act, H.R. 845 / S. 1110, introduced this year in Congress.

Prior to joining BCHA, Randy was senior policy manager for American Hiking Society where he coordinated and unified the recreation community’s response to land use and “travel management” plans undertaken by national forests and the BLM throughout Oregon. Both in this role and on behalf of BCHA today, Randy applies policy analysis, grassroots organizing, science and economics to advocate for the protection of wildlands and traditional quiet recreational uses. He earned a Master’s degree from Colorado State University in Natural Resources and Recreation, with an emphasis on Wilderness Management, and worked during his graduate program as a seasonal ranger in western Colorado for both the BLM and U.S. Forest Service.

Randy will speak at the panel ‘The Volunteers‘ on Friday, October 14 at 3:30 PM as part of the SHIFT Summit.

Tickets for the 2016 SHIFT Festival can be found here.