Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will restore its Washington D.C. headquarters but will retain its office in Grand Junction, Colorado.
BLM opened the Grand Junction headquarters in August 2020. The Interior Department said 328 positions were moved from Washington to Colorado as a result of the opening. However, it said only 41 affected employees relocated, including three moving to Grand Junction.
A BLM spokesperson said 41 positions currently are assigned to the Grand Junction office, with 30 of the positions filled.
“The headquarters transition will be conducted with a goal of minimizing further disruption to employees and their families,” the Interior Department said. “Outside of the aforementioned core leadership positions, the BLM does not plan to require employees to relocate.”
The Interior Department said BLM’s director and other key leadership positions would relocate to Washington. BLM has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017 when Neil Kornze stepped down. Acting directors have run the department since.
BLM current is led by two deputy directors, Nada Wolff Culver and Michael Nedd. The Interior Department said senior personnel will operate from Colorado, comprising part of the 95% of BLM’s 7,000 employees already located outside Washington.
“There is no doubt that the BLM should have a leadership presence in Washington, D.C. – like all the other land management agencies – to ensure that it has access to the policy-, budget-, and decision-making levers to best carry out its mission,” Haaland said. “In addition, the BLM’s robust presence in Colorado and across the West will continue to grow.”
The Interior Department said the decision came after Haaland engaged in substantive talks with employees, Tribal consultations, and meetings with local, state, and federal leaders. Haaland visited Grand Junction in July and pledged to provide clarity and direction.
