To provide for improved management of Federal lands and increased efficiencies within public land agencies while strengthening tourism, conservation, outdoor recreation, grazing, responsible energy production, and other multiple uses.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Hurd of Colorado (for himself, Ms. Boebert, Mr. Evans …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill permanently relocates the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from Washington, D.C. to Grand Junction, Colorado. It also requires the Secretary of the Interior to study whether moving additional BLM employees to Grand Junction or other western states would improve federal land management.
Who Benefits and How
Grand Junction, Colorado and Western Communities: The city of Grand Junction becomes the permanent home of BLM headquarters, bringing federal jobs, economic activity, and investment to the region. Local businesses benefit from increased federal employee presence and spending.
Western States (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming): These states may gain additional federal positions if the relocation study recommends moving more BLM employees closer to the public lands they manage. This could strengthen local coordination on land use decisions affecting tourism, recreation, ranching, and energy development.
BLM Employees Already in Grand Junction: Current BLM staff in Grand Junction receive job protection, as the bill mandates their positions remain stationed there.
Who Bears the Burden and How
BLM Employees in Washington, D.C.: Staff currently based at the D.C. headquarters may face pressure to relocate or could see their positions eliminated. This creates uncertainty and potential disruption for federal workers and their families.
Washington, D.C. Metro Area: The region loses federal jobs and the associated economic activity that comes with a major agency headquarters.
Federal Taxpayers: The government will bear costs associated with the relocation study and any subsequent moves of personnel, though specific funding amounts are not detailed in the bill.
Key Provisions
- Permanent Headquarters Relocation: Establishes Grand Junction, Colorado as the official and permanent location for BLM headquarters
- Employee Retention in Grand Junction: Requires all BLM positions currently in Grand Junction to remain there
- Relocation Feasibility Study: Mandates the Secretary of the Interior study whether moving more BLM positions to Grand Junction or western states would improve land management, community coordination, and multiple-use activities
- Congressional Reporting: Requires the study results be submitted to the House Natural Resources Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee within 365 days of enactment
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Relocates the Bureau of Land Management headquarters from Washington DC to Grand Junction, Colorado and requires a study on relocating additional BLM positions to western states.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Decentralize federal land management from Washington DC to western states where most federal lands are located; increase local control and proximity to managed lands"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Grand Junction, Colorado (economic development from headquarters)
- Western state communities (potential for additional BLM positions)
- BLM employees already in Grand Junction (job security)
- Local businesses in Grand Junction (increased federal employee presence)
Likely Burden Bearers
- BLM employees in Washington DC (potential relocation or job changes)
- Washington DC area (loss of federal jobs and economic activity)
- Federal government (relocation costs, potential coordination challenges)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Secretary of the Interior
Any of the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology