GRAND JUNCTION, CO – Two years. That’s the amount of time the Federal government has given the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to take root where the majority of its work resides.
Under the Obama administration, officials within the BLM were exploring a move from the Waterfront region of Washington, DC, in part, to save money but under the Trump administration, the government secured office space in Grand Junction, Colorado touting the move as a win for those served by the Interior Department.
The problem was in the perception of the move, as opponents decried the relocation effort as an attempt by Trump to dismantle it.
There’s no doubt that the segue west led to many BLM employees choosing to retire or resign, as ultimately, “more than 80 percent of the employees in affected positions did not relocate”, the administration explains in its FY2022 Interior Budget Request.
Today, one-eighth of the country’s land (public lands) managed by the Bureau are located in 12 western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
“The Department intends to locate the Bureau Director and other key leadership positions in the national headquarters where they can ensure coordination with Congress, other federal agencies, and stakeholders that visit Washington, D.C.” a BLM press release explains, but “additional senior personnel will operate from the Western headquarters, as part of the more than 95 percent of BLM employees that are already located outside (the Capitol region)”.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)