The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced the appointment of Lohr, who began his tenure this week. In his new role, Lohr will be responsible for overseeing the management of 1.4 million acres of public lands.
As per the El Centro Field Office website, a significant portion of the 1.4 million acres that Lohr will manage is located within Imperial County, which shares its southern border with Mexico and its northern boundary with Riverside County. The region encompasses several state vehicular recreation areas (SVRAs), off-highway vehicle recreation areas, state parks, as well as the Imperial Sand Dune Recreation Area. Visitors can also explore the Tumco Historic Mine, parts of the Juan Batista de Anza Historic Trail, and the Pacific Coast Trail.
Lohr expressed his enthusiasm about joining BLM in a news release dated January 31. He said, "I’m excited to join the BLM and work through the unique challenges of managing public land for multiple uses." A native of Imperial Valley, Lohr has held management positions at city, county, special district, and state levels throughout his career spanning over 25 years. His previous roles include working in parks and recreation management and supervision for Riverside City, Newport Beach City, and Ceres City. He also served as park superintendent for Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space.
In October 2018, The Ceres Courier reported on Lohr's appointment as a recreation manager. It highlighted that he was previously president of West Coast Recreation Services in Irvine for five years and worked as Newport Beach City’s recreation manager for the Recreation and Senior Services Department. In this capacity, he oversaw activities at six community centers and parks while supervising 50 employees and more than 100 contractors.
Shelly Lynch, California Desert District Manager for BLM praised Lohr's appointment stating: "We are thrilled to have Matt lead the El Centro Field office. He brings years of experience working across various levels of government and his previous leadership roles will help him manage the many issues and programs within the field office."
Lohr holds a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation administration from California State University Chico, and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, San Bernardino.
