Delegation Praises Retiring BLM Director for N.M., Urges ‘Careful Consideration’ of State’s Diverse Public Lands Issues in Selecting Successor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Steve Pearce announced that they have sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), thanking retiring BLM New Mexico State Director Jesse Juen for his thoughtful and balanced leadership, and urging the BLM to proceed carefully to hire Juen’s successor.
BLM State Director is a critical position in New Mexico, responsible for 850 employees and the management of more than 13.4 million acres of public lands and 26 million acres of federal oil, natural gas, and minerals.
“We have been fortunate to have a dedicated leader like Jesse, who has shown a focus and attention to the balanced management of BLM lands within New Mexico, and to the unique issues that our state’s public lands face,” the lawmakers wrote. “New Mexico’s unique landscape, history, and culture is reflected in the state’s public lands. We would encourage you to select an individual to fill the New Mexico State Director position who is familiar with the state and the unique issues that BLM land managers and BLM land users face.”
Those unique issues include the importance of balancing public lands management to support oil, gas and mineral leasing, grazing, recreation and conservation; as well as the needs of diverse communities, including Native Americans, and Spanish Land Grant Communities. Public lands also are critical to New Mexico’s economy. In fiscal year 2012, they supported more than 85,000 jobs and boosted the economy by more than $7.8 billion.
“We again applaud Jesse for his tireless work in balancing the complex issues that face New Mexico’s public lands,” the letter concludes. “He will be a tough act for anyone to follow, but we respectfully request your careful consideration in selecting a new State Director who will be equally capable of managing New Mexico’s public lands.”
A copy of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Director Kornze:
Since February of 2012, Jesse Juen has led the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in our state as the BLM New Mexico State Director. We have been fortunate to have a dedicated leader like Jesse, who has shown a focus and attention to the balanced management of BLM lands within New Mexico, and to the unique issues that our state’s public lands face. We express our sincere appreciation for his public service and the work of his capable staff, and we wish him the best in his upcoming retirement.
As we look forward to the coming year, we would request your careful consideration of the BLM New Mexico State Director position. As you know, New Mexico’s unique landscape, history, and culture is reflected in the state’s public lands. We would encourage you to select an individual to fill the New Mexico State Director position who is familiar with the state and the unique issues that BLM land managers and BLM land users face.
The New Mexico State Director is responsible for the management of more than 13.4 million acres of public lands and 26 million acres of federal oil, natural gas, and minerals. The director also manages and sets the priorities for a team of more than 850 employees. According to your agency’s own statistics, in fiscal year 2012, the BLM’s management of the public lands in New Mexico has supported more than 85,000 jobs and boosted the economy by more than $7.8 billion. Last year, New Mexico’s share of oil and gas revenue on public lands was over $470 million. The BLM State Director position is extremely important position for New Mexico, a position that demands a strong leader who is knowledgeable of oil and gas leasing, endangered species, recreation, ranching, and the traditional use issues that the many Native American and Spanish Land Grant communities face.
We again applaud Jesse for his tireless work in balancing the complex issues that face New Mexico’s public lands. He will be a tough act for anyone to follow, but we respectfully request your careful consideration in selecting a new State Director who will be equally capable of managing New Mexico’s public lands.
