Should BLM headquarters head West? Movement gains steam

From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Bureau of Land Management oversees some of the nation's most prized natural resources: vast expanses of public lands rich in oil, gas, coal, grazing for livestock, habitat for wildlife, hunting ranges, fishing streams and hiking trails. But more than 99 percent of that land is in 12 Western states, hundreds of miles from the nation's capital. Some Western politicians — both Republicans and Democrats — are asking why the bureau's headquarters isn't in the West as well. "You're dealing with an agency that basically has no business in Washington, D.C.," said Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who introduced a bill to move the headquarters to any of those dozen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington or Wyoming. The Bureau of Land Management manages a combined 385,000 square miles (997,000 square kilometers) in those states. Colorado Republican Rep. Scott Tipton introduced a similar measure in the House, and three Democrats signed up as co-sponsors: Reps. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Jared Polis of Colorado and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado. Zinke said in September he wants to move much of the Interior Department's decision-making to the West, including the Bureau of Land Management, which is part of the agency. Few say moving the bureau's headquarters would tilt its decision-making toward commercial use or preservation and recreation. But some environmental groups question whether it would produce real benefits. Aaron Weiss, media director for the Center for Western Priorities, said Zinke has been limiting opportunities for local comment on national monuments and BLM planning, and moving the headquarters West wouldn't reverse that. Weiss also suggested Zinke could use a headquarters move as a cover to get rid of employees he considers disloyal. "We absolutely question his motives," Weiss said....more