Since being named acting director of the BLM, Dr. Michael Dombeck has focused on two major objectives: creating a long-term vision and agenda for BLM and taking steps to reduce red tape, streamline operations and improve service to the American people.
Mike Dombeck's vision calls for the agency to, among other things, better understand the needs of rural and urban areas; provide for a wide variety of public land uses; use the best scientific information available in decisionmaking; move decisionmaking out of Washington to the local level; and resolve problems and implement solutions in collaboration with other agencies, states, tribal governments and the public.This effort has led to numerous organizational changes, including a top-to-bottom restructuring of the headquarters staff that is intended to reduce organizational layers, improve efficiency, increase effectiveness of the headquarters staff through the development of a new team approach to meeting objectives, and reduce the number of supervisors and other upper grade personnel. We are also making organizational changes at the field level of the BLM to flatten the organization and provide for a more efficient decisionmaking process.
For these and other efforts under Mike Dombeck's leadership, BLM has twice been recognized by Vice President Gore with the administration's Golden Hammer Award for improving service while saving taxpayer dollars.
During the past year and a half, the BLM work force has been reduced by over 900 positions. Admittedly, this has resulted in a loss of experience within the organization, but I believe we are left with many first-rate people who are up to the job of managing America's lands.
We realize, of course, that there is always room for improvement in everything we do. We value very highly the views and suggestions we receive from groups such as the National Mining Association. In fact, the BLM's top leadership team, made up of senior officials from throughout the entire organization, met with the National Mining Association during its convention last week to discuss ways in which we can improve our working relationship with that industry.
I believe the Bureau of Land Management is focused and directed toward a clear, distinct mission, perhaps more so than at any time in the agency's 50-year history. With the many diverse interests who have a stake in the future of the public lands, we have developed a blueprint for achieving the goal that all Americans share: maintaining the health and productivity of the land for present and future generations. We are working hard to achieve that goal and we are making steady, certain progress.
Mat Millenbach
Deputy director
Bureau of Land Management
Washington, D.C.