Letter of support to relocate BLM headquarters to Grand Junction approved
At their April 15 public hearing, the Mesa County Commissioners sent a letter of support to U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd in response to House Resolution 1125, the Local Opportunities, Conservation, and American Lands (LOCAL) Act, which seeks to permanently relocate the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
In the letter, the Mesa County Commissioners said, “Mesa County strongly supports the LOCAL Act and urges Congress to pass this important legislation. Ensuring the BLM headquarters is permanently in Grand Junction is not only a win for our community but also for the efficient and effective management of public lands across the West. We believe that this bill will continue to create good-paying jobs, reduce costs, and improve the federal government’s ability to serve the people it represents.”
Read the full letter:
On behalf of the Mesa County Board of Commissioners, we write to express our steadfast support for your LOCAL Act (H.R. 1125). This essential legislation seeks to permanently relocate the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado, ensuring that over 300 vital jobs in the Western United States are protected, and that the BLM can continue to serve the needs of rural communities throughout the West.
During President Trump's first term, the decision was made to move the BLM headquarters to Grand Junction, where it was closer to the federal lands it oversees. However, this move was reversed under the Biden Administration. The LOCAL Act will not only protect these jobs in key states like Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, but it will also safeguard the benefits of having a BLM presence in the West.
The economic and logistical benefits of this relocation are significant. The Department of the Interior has estimated that moving the BLM headquarters to Grand Junction in 2020 saved over $2 million in lease costs, $1.9 million in salary savings, and another $1.9 million in travel costs. By keeping the headquarters in Grand Junction, taxpayers continue to benefit from these savings while enhancing the agency’s ability to manage federal lands more efficiently.
Since the establishment of the BLM headquarters in Grand Junction in August 2020, we have seen significant improvements in service and decision-making. The move has reduced long cross-country flights, improved training and customer service, and delegated more responsibility to employees in the field, all of which have resulted in better decision-making and enhanced local collaboration.
Mesa County strongly supports the LOCAL Act and urges Congress to pass this important legislation. Ensuring the BLM headquarters is permanently in Grand Junction is not only a win for our community but for the efficient and effective management of public lands across the West. We believe that this bill will continue to create good-paying jobs, reduce costs, and improve the federal government’s ability to serve the people it represents.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued support of the Western communities that depend on responsible public land management.
