Department of the Interior

Departmental Manual

 

Effective Date:  9/20/07

Series:  Organization

Part 135:  Bureau of Land Management

Chapter 5:  Field Organization

 

Originating Office:  Bureau of Land Management

135 DM 5

 

5.1     Field Organization.  The delivery of the BLM's products and services and implementation of the BLM's resource management mission for public lands are achieved through State Offices, District Offices, Field Offices, and Field Stations.

 

5.2     State Offices (SOs).  The BLM has 12 SOs, each headed by a State Director who reports to the Deputy Director Operations.  Each SO is responsible for carrying out the BLM mission within a specific geographical area consisting of one or more States.

 

          A.      Roles and Responsibilities.  State Offices provide mission direction and leadership, program leadership and technical support, and appeal resolution; identify Statewide goals and priority efforts under the BLM Strategic Plan; and communicate the Administration's, the Secretary's and the BLM's priorities to the District/Field Offices, State Agencies, Tribal Organizations, and the public.  The State Director, working with State Office staff, formulates policy and renders decisions within the limits of his/her delegated authority; directs/provides oversight for activities within the State; and provides support to District/Field Office operations.  State Offices also gather and analyze performance/cost data and identify opportunities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. 

 

          B.      Structure.  State Offices are organized along functional lines.  A typical State Office includes a Division of Resources (sometimes separated into a Division of Resources and a Division of Lands and Minerals) and a Division of Business Resources and Support Services.  Variations are based on the resources managed and staffing levels.

 

          C.      Locations and Geographic Jurisdictions.  Each of the 12 BLM State Offices has an assigned geographic area of responsibility (see attached map).  SOs may arrange to share resources and conduct activities across geographic areas when such arrangements support common missions and/or achieve efficiencies in customer service, resource utilization, or administrative operations.  The SO locations and geographic jurisdictions are provided below:

 

State and District Offices	State Office Location	Jurisdiction
Alaska	Anchorage	State of Alaska
Arizona	Phoenix	State of Arizona, plus a narrow strip of the California side of the Colorado River
California	Sacramento	State of California, less that part administered by the Arizona SO, plus a portion of northwestern Nevada
Colorado	Denver	State of Colorado
Eastern States	Springfield, VA	All States bordering on or east of the Mississippi River.
Idaho	Boise	State of Idaho, plus small parts of Nevada and Oregon
Montana	Billings	States of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Nevada	Reno	State of Nevada, except the parts administered by the California and Idaho SOs
New Mexico	Santa Fe	States of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas
Oregon	Portland	States of Oregon and Washington, except that part administered by the Idaho SO
Utah	Salt Lake City	State of Utah
Wyoming	Cheyenne	States of Wyoming and Nebraska

         

5.3     District Offices (DOs).  The second layer of the field organization is the District Office. 

 

          A.      Each district office is headed by a District Manager who reports to a State Director.  District Offices guide and assist the field offices in accomplishing mission activities.  The District Offices support the State Offices by developing and administering programs that meet State priorities for public lands and resources, and carry out resource management programs within their geographic area of responsibility.  District offices provide early warning to State Directors on sensitive issues and communicate policies, procedures, and goals to the public, the media, organizations, communities and partner groups.

 

          B.      District Offices may be organized along functional lines (renewable resources, non-renewable resources, operations, and support services), geographic locations (one or more Field Office or National Landscape Conservation System Unit), or by both function and geographic location. 

 

5.4     Field Offices (FOs).  Field Offices provide direct customer services and execute on-the-ground management of public lands and resources within BLM's jurisdiction.  Each Field Office is headed by a Field Manager who reports to a District Manager (unless there is no District Office, in which case the Field Manager will report to the State Director).  Field Offices carry out resource management programs within geographic subdivisions of the District.  They are responsible for authorizing use of resources, inventorying and monitoring resource conditions and trends, and conducting compliance monitoring of land uses and permitted activities within their geographic area.  Field Offices serve as the primary point of contact for customers and stakeholders at the local level. 

 

5.5     Field Stations (FSs).  Field Stations are detached offices or duty stations to the Field Offices.  Field Stations normally do not have a formal line manager as they are an extension of the FO, not an independent entity.

 

5.6     National Landscape System Units.  A National Monument or National Conservation Area may report to a Field Office, District Office, or State Office depending upon its size, complexity, and delegation of authority. 

 

9/20/07 #3761

Replaces 5/3/96 #3067