BLM: Acting director named

Brian Steed was appointed as the acting director of the BLM on Nov. 16. This is a temporary position. The permanent director of the agency has not been named. Steed was previously chief of staff for Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT-02). Stewart’s vocal support of transferring control of federal public lands over to the states has drawn some fire from environmental groups who fear Steed may take the BLM in that direction. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT-01) however, praised the appointment, saying, “Brian Steed has the expertise to help BLM partner with state and local governments to improve federal land management. I congratulate Brian and look forward to working with him to ensure the bureau is meeting the needs of local communities and fulfilling its core missions.”