More BLM jobs could be headed to Grand Junction

New BLM Headquarters in Grand Junction

The Bureau of Land Management is considering bringing more people to its new Grand Junction national headquarters than originally announced. As many as 40 employees may be brought in to staff the new office after its relocation from Washington, D.C., its acting director says. William Perry Pendley, who is meeting in Grand Junction this week with assistant BLM directors and BLM state directors, said in an interview Thursday that the 27 jobs he previously has said are coming to Grand Junction remains "the most solid number." "However, internally we think we may go as high as 40, and I think you can quote me on that," Pendley told The Daily Sentinel. Pendley said a lot of BLM jobs in Washington have been vacant because of that city's high cost of living. "As a result of that, we're going to have to hire people here. It's an exciting opportunity for us," he said. The agency has leased office space on Horizon Drive. Pendley said some staff will be starting at that location in January. "It's going to be a small staff early on. We're hoping we can stand up a lot more people beginning in early March," he said. "That all turns on our ability to get people hired."...MORE