Vernon E Lovejoy


Education

  • MS Outdoor Recreation and Park Administration, Eastern Kentucky University
  • BA Physical Geography, University of Charleston
  • Minors in Anthropology, Natural Science & Sociology

Military

  • US Army, Captain

Vernon E Lovejoy was the National Program Manager for Outdoor Recreation and Commercial Concessions for the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation for 22 years. Mr. Lovejoy is owner of Lovejoy Consulting LLC and a partner in Haas and Lovejoy Protected Area Advisors LLC. He has expertise in nearly all facets of outdoor recreation and commercial concession.


With Reclamation, he provided leadership on all programs pertaining to protection and recreational use of public land and water at 350 reservoirs and associated rivers located in the 17 western US states. These reservoirs have nearly 300 protected areas, which included parks, recreation areas and about 225 commercial concessions. Mr. Lovejoy was responsible for national policy development and implementation, commercial concessions planning and contracting, legislative initiatives, funding and initiating innovative outdoor recreation programs and providing employee training for 5 regional offices.


Mr. Lovejoy also served as coordinator for outdoor recreation, wilderness, interpretation, national trails, and river rafting programs for the Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming.


He also worked for the Corps of Engineers and performed a variety of assignments specifically related to outdoor recreation, concessions, conservation education, and wildlife management on 23 large reservoirs and rivers located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.




Authored the following Bureau of Reclamation National Policies and Directives:
US Bureau of Reclamation

  • Concessions Management Policy - sets the policy for planning, developing, contracting, managing, and operating commercial concessions.
  • Recreation Management Policy - defined responsibilities and establishes the basic principles for planning, developing, managing, and protecting public recreation resources.
  • Visitor Center Policy - established policy for planning, developing, interpreting, managing, and operating visitor centers.
  • Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act Program Management Directive - set the requirements for implementing and managing the national pass and fee program for the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and US Forest Service.
  • Recreation Program Management Directive - set the requirements to ensure effective management of public outdoor recreation.



Federal Laws Authored

  • Public Law 107-69 : Law Enforcement Authority at Bureau of Reclamation Projects
  • Public Law 106-461 : Hoover Dam, Nevada, Miscellaneous Sales Act



Innovative Programs Initiated and Funded
US Bureau of Reclamation

  • An Assessment of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Non-Federal Recreation Management Partners - report to assess the welfare of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) non-Federal partners.
  • Creating More Meaningful Visitor Experiences - program designed to help staff complete an appropriate yet expedient planning process for developing interpretation and education products and services.
  • Estimating Future Recreation Demand: A Decision Guide for the Practitioner - to assist Reclamation and its partners in assessing recreation demand in their routine administration and planning decision process.
  • Outdoor Recreation Business Plan Guidebook - provides a how-to-guide to facilitate the development of a simple but effective business plan with limited resources and address the economic consequences of management decisions.
  • Recreation at Bureau of Reclamation Projects Report to the Commissioner - was a report that describes the history of recreation at Reclamation projects and highlights recreation authorities and limitations.
  • Recreation Facility Design Guidelines - is for planners and design professions in the planning and budget process, reducing design costs, and preparing consistent and compliant designs.
  • Resource Management Plan Guidebook - outlines discretionary guidance on how to prepare Resource Management Plans.
  • Sign Guidelines - sets forth guidance for planning, developing, and managing signs for outdoor public use areas.
  • Visitor Center Guidelines - ensures that visitor centers are planned, developed, upgraded, managed, and operated in a sustainable cost-effective manner.
  • Water and Land Recreation Opportunity Spectrum - methodology for inventorying, planning, and managing recreation opportunities on, and adjacent to, water areas.



Special National & Interntational Projects

Belize
  • Prepared the Feasibility Study and subsequent development of the National Commercial Concessions Program for 103 Protected Areas that comprise the Belize National Protected Area System
  • Prepared the draft Co-Management Agreements between Non-Government and Community Based Organizations for management of selected Protected Areas in Belize
  • Coordinated the proposed first digital pass program for Protected Areas in Belize. This was also the first digital pass program in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Assisted Belize in establishing the country's first National Biodiversity Office, which is part of the management team of the National Protected Area System
  • Visitor’s Willingness to Increase their Current Contribution to Belize’s Protected Areas Conservation Trust (2016)
Jamaica
  • A Carrying Capacity Assessment of Four Protected Areas in Jamaica: Dunn’s Falls, Green Grotto Caves, Booby Cay, and Reach Falls
Wyoming
  • Resource Based Report and Recommendations to Permanently Resolve the Disposition of 41 BLM Wilderness Study Areas, Lands with Wilderness Characteristics and Citizens Wilderness Proposals in Wyoming (2016)
Indonesia and 5 Other Countries
  • Member of the US Department of the Interior, International Technical Assistance team that played a vital role in planning the Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum, in Bali, Indonesia. The forum focused on the 6 countries protected areas in the Coral Triangle as Global Sustainable Marine Tourism Destinations. The forum was created by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security that includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands (2015)
California
  • Lake Berryessa, California, Commercial Concessions Request for Proposals and Contract for the Development of Water Related Outdoor Recreation Facilities (2013)
  • New Melones Lake, California, Commercial Concessions Request for Proposals and Contract for the Development of Water Related Outdoor Recreation Facilities (2012)
  • Houseboat Capacity Study, Lake Berryessa, California (2011)
Nevada
  • Colorado River Heritage Greenway, Laughlin, Nevada, Request for Proposals and Contract for Outdoor Recreation Facilities along the Colorado River (2011)
Washington D.C.
  • Member of the National Interagency Team that developed the US National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (2006-2010)