President Trump’s energy leadership team takes further shape with the confirmation of Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior and the nomination of Leslie Beyer and Kathleen Sgamma to two key posts. Here’s a quick overview of these key Interior leaders:
Doug Burgum
Secretary Burgum began his tenure as the 55th Secretary of the Interior by quickly outlining key priorities, including expanding production on federal lands and reducing regulatory barriers to energy projects. Underscoring the administration’s prioritization of American energy, Secretary Burgum will also lead the newly established National Energy Dominance Council and have a seat on the National Security Council—a first for an Interior secretary.
Leslie Beyer
Leslie Beyer is nominated for the Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management. Once confirmed, Beyer will oversee the management, conservation, and development of public lands and natural resources, including energy and mineral development. Chief among her responsibilities is overseeing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Management (OSMRE), and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). BLM and BOEM manage the leasing and development of onshore and offshore energy projects, with the BLM acting as the primary administrator of federal surface lands and subsurface minerals. A Texas native, Beyer is no stranger to Washington, having served as both a White House and Senate staffer during her career. She is an accomplished energy industry advocate and was named one of Hart Energy’s 25 Influential Women in Energy in 2021.
Kathleen Sgamma
Kathleen Sgamma is the nominee to lead BLM. BLM oversees 245 million acres – or one-tenth – of America’s surface land and 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate, and the agency is an integral part of onshore domestic energy development and management. Sgamma brings a unique perspective to the agency, having served as president of the Western Energy Alliance – an organization that advocates for responsible oil and natural gas development in the West – for nearly 20 years. By statute, BLM is charged with a multiple-use mandate, which states that the agency “shall manage the public lands under principles of multiple use and sustained yield” of resources. This means the agency must permit and balance a variety of uses, including energy development, livestock grazing, recreation, and timber harvesting, and ensure that these public resources are maintained for present and future use. Once confirmed, Sgamma and BLM will be tasked with advancing energy development while balancing other valid uses of these public resources.
To date, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has yet to schedule a hearing for Beyer or Sgamma.
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