Plans have been announced for the Bureau of Land Management to relocate its headquarters from Washington, DC to Grand Junction, CO. The announcement was made by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) on Monday.
“I am thrilled to announce the BLMNational headquarters is coming to Grand Junction!,” Gardner wrote in a tweet.
I am thrilled to announce the @BLMNational headquarters is coming to Grand Junction! Today is a historic day for our nation’s public lands, western states, and the people of Colorado. pic.twitter.com/e8ErI85Ftr
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) July 15, 2019
Gardner has been pushing to relocate the agency’s headquarters for the past three years. He said in a statement about the move:
Relocating the Bureau of Land Management to the Western Slope of Colorado will bring the bureau’s decision makers closer to the people they serve and the public lands they manage. The problem with Washington is too many policy makers are far removed from the people they are there to serve. Ninety-nine percent of the land the BLM manages is West of the Mississippi River, and so should be the BLM headquarters. This is a victory for local communities, advocates for public lands, and proponents for a more responsible and accountable federal government.
Gardner said that he believes BLM has authority to make the move but that Congress will still be notified. “Obviously notification will be given to Congress and there will be a time period where I guess if somebody wanted to they could throw a wrench into the works,” Gardner said. He added that he is unaware of any significant opposition to the planned relocation.
According to Colorado Public Radio, about 30 jobs will relocate to Grand Junction including the director, deputy director and their attendant staff. 222 employees will move to BLM state offices and 80 total employees will relocate to Colorado. 61 federal employees are expected to remain in Washington at Department of Interior headquarters.
