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Moving US Land Agency West Brings Praise, Prompts Questions

Associated Press

   DENVER - The Trump administration's plan to move the government's
   largest land management office from Washington to Colorado evoked a mix
   of praise, criticism and questions Tuesday.

   The Bureau of Land Management scheduled a formal announcement of its
   plans Tuesday afternoon. A day earlier, delighted Republican lawmakers
   said the bureau's headquarters would move to Grand Junction, Colorado,
   and about 300 jobs would be relocated to Colorado, Nevada, Utah and
   other Western states.

   The bureau, part of the Interior Department, oversees nearly 388,000
   square miles (1 billion square kilometers) of public land, and 99% is
   in 12 Western states. Those lands produce oil, gas and coal, and
   ranchers graze livestock on them as well.

   "This is a victory for local communities, advocates for public lands
   and proponents for a more responsible and accountable federal
   government," said Senator Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican.

   Gardner released a letter from the Interior Department Tuesday
   confirming the move to Grand Junction, a city of about 63,000 people
   250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Denver.

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