I do not see how changing regional boundaries resolves the fact that the BLM has a different legal responsibility and legal responsibilities than the Park Service or the Bureau of Reclamation.

Senator Udall noted a concern about not engaging as much with Tribes.

the reason we have the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the reason the commission that Senator Alexander talked about was put in place, and the high numbers that Senator Tester talked about, are to have additional parks at the local…

I want to clear all of this up.

Public lands boost our local economies and add jobs, and special places like Las Vegas, New Mexico, benefit greatly.

You intend to follow the direction provided in the omnibus and the explanatory statement, and follow congressional intent.

Soon is a couple of weeks?

I appreciate you want to improve resource stewardship by getting bureaus to focus on regional landscapes and to work across Federal, State, and local lines.

I do not see how drawing the lines really makes a difference there.

I remain concerned that there is still a directive in place for BLM to offer quarterly lease sales that have the potential to impact Chaco.

This is an important nomination. The Department's Indian Affairs hallway has been empty for quite some time, lacking the top political leadership your nomination reflects and that Indian Country deserves.

This issue needs to be addressed more forcefully.