Retired US public lands managers criticize Trump plans

DENVER (AP) — Former public lands managers are heaping criticism on a Trump administration plan to move the headquarters of the nation’s largest land agency from Washington to the West.

Thirty retired executives from the Bureau of Land Management said Thursday moving the bureau headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, and dispersing managers across 11 Western states could lead to worse stewardship of public lands.

In a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who oversees the bureau, the executives called the move drastic and expensive.

Bernhardt’s department didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The department announced the move in July, saying it would lead to better decisions and save money.

At least three groups of retired public land managers are now disputing that in letters to the administration and Congress.