Letter to Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Department of the Interior - Public Lands Chairman Joe Neguse Advocates for BLM Headquarters to Remain in Grand Junction, and For Full-Staffed, Effective Agency Management

Letter

Dear Secretary Haaland:

First and foremost, thank you for your strong and effective leadership at the Department of Interior (DOI). In just the past few months since your confirmation, your stewardship of this critically important agency has been truly remarkable, and the country is grateful for your distinguished service. As the Chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, I look forward to continuing to partner with you and the DOI on our shared priorities of restoring our lands and our communities across the country. I write today to express my support of a fully functioning Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado. I respectfully request that the DOI ensure that the headquarters remains in Grand Junction, and further, that the Department explore options for ensuring that the agency is fully staffed and able to effectively carry out its mission in this new location.

In short, I believe that the move of the BLM headquarters has the potential to be beneficial for Coloradans, the Rocky Mountain West, and for the effective management of our nation's public lands. Maintaining the BLM headquarters in Grand Junction would provide agency employee with the opportunity to live, work, and recreate in the lands they work with and manage. And provided the Department is able to take the necessary steps to fully staff and support the new headquarters, the move can provide real benefits to our land management practices. From historic wildfires, to record-breaking droughts, to water management challenges, the Western United States has a front row seat to the impacts of climate change. Colorado, and the many experts that call our state home, have the potential to serve as a provider of climate solutions i the West.

Simply put, the mission of the BLM is critically important to the country, and especially to Colorado. For both the benefit of our state -- and to ensure full operations of the BLM -- I support the headquarters remaining in Grand Junction, as well as increased hiring and staffing for the purposes of keeping the headquarters in Colorado.

I look forward to working with the DOI to ensure the operations of the BLM remain strong, and would relish the opportunity to welcome you for an official visit to our wonderful state, including the new BLM headquarters. I deeply appreciate your consideration, and you willingness to work with myself and members of the Colorado delegation to find a path forward for a fully functioning BLM headquarters in Grand Junction.

Sincerely,

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