The Bureau of Land Management has proposed merging Arizona and New Mexico’s offices. It’s a move Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar and others are trying to stop.
Gosar joined congressmen from California and Utah and a congresswoman from Wyoming in sending a letter to the BLM director. In it, they say they want the BLM to seriously study the ramifications of the merger and analyze the impacts of previous office mergers by other federal agencies.
They’re also urging the BLM to talk with state and local governments, along with impacted stakeholders. The agency is said to be considering the union in hopes of boosting efficiency and cutting costs.
But in the letter, the congressional members say the two state offices, "face uniquely different management challenges that may be exacerbated by a merger."
