LAKEWOOD, Colo. – After robust outreach with its employees, local communities and government officials, Tribes, stakeholders, as well as Colorado’s congressional delegation, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) realigned its district boundaries in Colorado today. The BLM now has four districts in Colorado – the Northwest Colorado District, Southwest Colorado District, Rocky Mountain District, and the newly formed Upper Colorado River District.
This realignment effort will align the BLM Colorado’s fire units to improve public and wildland firefighter safety, as well as create more efficient, logical geographic, and geopolitical boundaries.
“After the last realignment effort in 2016, the BLM committed to conducting an evaluation to see how things were working and if any adjustments were needed,” said Colorado State Director Jamie Connell. “We did our evaluation, had strong dialogue with everyone affected by our new realignment, garnered resounding support and are now poised to better serve the public.”
The primary changes include:
- Establishment of the Upper Colorado River District, which comprises the Grand Junction and Colorado River Valley Field Offices with district headquarters collocated with the Grand Junction Field Office.
- Headquarters for the Northwest Colorado District, currently collocated with the Colorado River Valley Field Office, will move to the Little Snake Field Office in Craig. The Northwest Colorado District now comprises the Little Snake, White River and Kremmling Field Offices.
- The Gunnison Field Office moved from the Rocky Mountain District to the Southwest Colorado District, which will retain its purview over the Tres Rios and Uncompahgre Field Offices. District headquarters will remain collocated with the Uncompahgre Field Office in Montrose.
- The Rocky Mountain District now comprises the Royal Gorge and San Luis Valley Field Offices, with its headquarters remaining collocated with the Royal Gorge Field Office in Canon City.
The BLM is now working to recruit and hire a new District Manager for the Upper Colorado River District. A total of two to three positions will be hired. The vacant Northwest Colorado District Manager and Associate District Manager will be filled as well.
A map showing the boundary change is available online at https://go.usa.gov/xGe4g.
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