BLM move would split apart key public lands team

The team that assesses the environmental impacts of major projects on the nation’s public lands will be split up and spread across seven states, according to new internal documents breaking down the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plans to relocate most of its Washington-based employees out west.

The documents reviewed by The Hill provide insight into how BLM plans to split up teams, spreading people who currently work together to offices across different states.

“It’s more apparent than ever to me what the goal is for this proposal, and it’s not to make things more efficient and to get things on the ground,” said Steve Ellis, who served 38 years with BLM before resigning from its highest level career position in 2016. “Staff is being scattered so they can’t work together efficiently and effectively.”

View the complete October 14 article by Rebecca Beitsch on The Hill website here.