The Biden administration is reversing a key policy decision made in the Trump era and bringing the national headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management back to Washington, D.C., from which the Trump team had moved the agency amid their efforts to “drain the swamp,” as they dubiously put it.
The Trump administration moved the land management agency’s headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, and in that process, almost 300 employees left the agency — which certain observers perceived as a desired after-effect on the part of the Trump team. Jennifer Rokala, who serves as executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, insisted that it’s “clear that moving the agency’s headquarters out of Washington, D.C. was meant to force out career employees and hollow out its leadership.” Now, the Interior Department — led at present by Biden appointee Deb Haaland — is moving it back.
As Haaland put it:
‘The Bureau of Land Management is critical to the nation’s efforts to address the climate crisis, expand public access to our public lands, and preserve our nation’s shared outdoor heritage. It is imperative that the bureau have the appropriate structure and resources to serve the American public. There’s 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. In addition, the BLM’s robust presence in Colorado and across the West will continue to grow.’
In addition, a press release from the Interior Department notes that officials do “not plan to require employees to relocate” amid this latest move. Haaland added that her “priority is to revitalize and rebuild the BLM so that it can meet the pressing challenges of our time, and to look out for our employees’ well-being.” The Bureau of Land Management oversees public lands across the U.S., including hundreds of millions of acres. During the Trump era, environmental protection policies were routinely degraded in favor of business interests. Read more from the Interior Department at this link.
Photo (edited) by AFGE, available under a Creative Commons License
