Moving the Bureau of Land Management to the West is a good idea; 90% of BLM land is in the West, but not Grand Junction!
BLM personnel will already be coming in with plenty of oil and gas industry influence. Acting BLM Director Casey Hammond is committed to “reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens” on the industry. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, a Rifle native, is a former oil industry lobbyist.
Grand Junction is a hotbed of climate change deniers and drill-baby-drill types. Being surrounded by such influences is unlikely to change the mind of the BLM staff on the reality of climate change.
Glenwood Springs, which has a blend of industry supporters and climate geeks, would be a much better choice. Perhaps the geeks could persuade the BLMers to put environment, public health, and the welfare of the planet ahead of corporate profits.
Fred Malo Jr.
Carbondale