[ad_1]
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has signed a lease for its new head office located in a building in Grand Junction, Colorado, which also houses several businesses regulated by the federal office.
The Interior Ministry announced in July that BLM staff in Washington DC would be transferred to the West. Officials said this would bring staff closer to the lands and resources overseen by BLM.
The new headquarters will cost much less than the current DC office, BLM said in a statement. The new headquarters will house the director, deputy director and several BLM deputy directors.
However, it also houses a construction company, a Chevron office and a few oil and gas companies, according to online property registries.
The other tenants in the building were first reported by Colorado Public Radio.
"Today marks a milestone for the Bureau. The relocation of our head office will bring significant benefits, including more efficient operations and a better neighbor to Western communities, "said William Perry Pendley, Deputy Director of Programs and Policy, BLM.
The move to the West has been controversial, with critics claiming it was mismanaged and useless.
"Our worst fears have been confirmed: the move of this vital public real estate agency from DC has always been about giving more access to special interests while dismantling institutions and eliminating federal employees." said Jayson O'Neill, deputy director of the Western Values Project. in a report. "Now, the agency in charge of protecting and defending our public lands will rub the oil industry leaders and share a water cooler with allies in the interests of the extractive industry."
The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Weather Service are also located near the new headquarters.
[ad_2]
Source link