BLM Director Names Wyoming State Director (1/14/2009)

Bureau of Land Management Director James Caswell today named Don Simpson as the agency’s state director in Wyoming. Simpson has been acting in the position since February 2008.

“Don has a broad management and natural resources background,” Caswell said. “I am pleased he has accepted this assignment.”

He will oversee the management of 18 million acres of public lands and resources throughout the state. He will be responsible for more than 700 employees in 10 field offices and an annual budget of about $69 million.

Simpson, a 33-year veteran of the BLM, has served in a variety of positions in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C. Before moving to Wyoming, he served as deputy group manager for Congressional Affairs in the agency’s headquarters office.

He has held positions at all levels of the agency and in a number of programs, including fire, forestry, lands, minerals, and surveying. Simpson holds a degree in Forest Management from Colorado State University. He and his wife Kathy have two grown children.

The BLM manages more land – 256 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.

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