The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will soon pack up its current home as officials are poised to move the agency’s headquarters back to the District of Columbia.
Currently headquartered in Grand Junction, Colorado, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a news release that the move is designed to provide some stability to the agency after several changes have created a lack of stability among the workforce.
“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,” Haaland said.
According to the release, the BLM’s Colorado location would become its Western headquarters, which would prove to be beneficial since more than 95% of its workforce is located outside of Washington, D.C.
“As we move forward, my 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,” Haaland said in the release.
Working in conjunction with Congress, Haaland said the changes will help make the BLM operate more efficiently and offer stability to the more than 7,000 BLM workers nationwide. It also will improve access for those who have an interest in the bureau. However, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican whose district includes Grand Junction, has been critical of the move. She told the Business Times that the region still could benefit from a Western headquarters.
“This could still ultimately be a win for Grand Junction and the West as a western headquarters will remain in Grand Junction,” she told the publication. “More jobs will move to Grand Junction, and all the jobs that moved out West won’t be moved back to D.C.”
According to the news release, the Interior Department will form a BLM Foundation in an effort to support the bureau’s projects, improve the working relationship with Congress and forge stronger relationships with stakeholders, including ties with Indian Tribe liaisons in each state.
When the BLM relocated its HQ under the Trump administration, the hope was that it would increase jobs across the West. According to the release, that didn’t happen. Instead, of the 328 positions moved out of Washington, D.C., only 41 people decided to relocate, with three moving to Colorado.
Going forward, the BLM noted in its release that the change will be done with a goal of creating as little upheaval as possible for employees or their families, only requiring key leadership positions to relocate.
