Trump appoints US Oil Advocate to Lead Public Land Bureau

Kathleen Sgamma is a vocal advocate of oil and gas for Western States. She will be heading the Interior Department Bureau of Land Management which oversees the use of nearly 250 million acres of country's public lands.

Sgamma is the head of Western Energy Alliance which represents oil companies operating on federal land. He had criticized Biden's and Obama's efforts to reserve public land for conservation rather than open more acres for energy developments.

Sgamma, as the head of BLM, will be responsible for overseeing federal leasing programs in oil and gas, mining and grazing, and renewable energy.

As part of its climate change agenda Biden's government has reduced new oil and gas leases on federal land and implemented a special program for leasing land that is specifically designated for conservation.

Sgamma will likely take steps to increase the number of oil and gas quarterly auctions as well as the amount of acreage available in Western States.

About 11% of U.S. oil production is produced on federal land.

Brian Nesvik, recently retired director of Wyoming Game and Fish Department and director of Fish and Wildlife Service, was also nominated by the administration. Nesvik was critical of the Biden Administration's decision not to remove grizzly beavers and other species from endangered species list.

The two nominees are under the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Burgum announced earlier this month a series of orders to carry out President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda, which aims to maximize domestic energy production and mineral production while reducing red tape.

The order also required the revocation of three Endangered Species Act rules that were finalized during the Biden administration, and a rollback of a rule to protect migratory bird from accidental killing.

Conservation groups have criticized these appointments. They claim that the nominees will damage wildlife and environmental protections to promote more energy development.

Taylor McKinnon is Southwest Director for the Center for Biological Diversity. He said, "Everyone who loves the outdoors should be against her nomination." (Reporting and editing by Mark Porter, Christopher Cushing and Valerie Volcovici)

(source: Reuters)