Trump selects North Dakota governor as Interior leader
The decision places Trump's former primary opponent at the helm of the department.
TroibNews 
President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who previously competed for the Republican presidential nomination, to lead the Interior Department and shape the energy policy aimed at increasing oil and gas drilling.
"We're going to do things with energy and with land — Interior — that is going to be incredible," Trump stated during a gathering at Mar-a-Lago. He emphasized that Burgum "is going to head the Department of Interior and he's going to be fantastic."
Burgum made his fortune by selling his software company, which facilitated a connection with Trump, who had considered Burgum as a potential running mate for the 2024 election.
If the Senate confirms his nomination, Burgum would be responsible for overseeing over 500 million acres of federal land, as well as the fossil fuels and minerals located beneath it, making him a vital figure in Trump’s vision for increasing oil and gas production.
Burgum would be involved in creating policies to fulfill Trump’s "drill, baby, drill" promise, which includes leasing federal lands for oil, natural gas, and coal extraction, along with establishing safety regulations for offshore oil operations.
However, Trump has not shown the same enthusiasm for renewable energy initiatives, which the Biden administration aimed to expand on public lands. It is expected that Trump will encourage Burgum to reduce or terminate many of Biden's programs focused on developing large wind farms along the East Coast and other renewable energy projects on public lands.
During Trump's first term, his administration sought to reduce regulations concerning rig safety, climate change, and protections under the Endangered Species Act, with the goal of facilitating oil companies' operations on public lands. Trump's recent comments characterizing oil as "liquid gold" and suggesting that crude production would soar under his administration compared to Biden's have led observers to anticipate that he will pursue new avenues to dismantle regulatory barriers established by the current administration.
North Dakota stands as the third-largest oil-producing state in the U.S. and has more than four million acres under federal oversight. As governor, Burgum advocated for carbon capture technologies aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel extraction and other industrial processes.
This approach aligns with Trump's objective to enhance fossil fuel production while also incorporating technological advancements to mitigate environmental impact, according to Collin O’Mara, CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.
“I think he'll be a very strong champion of the energy dominance agenda,” O’Mara remarked. “But in North Dakota, he tried to find some level of balance to make sure that important conservation areas, important areas for tourism, weren't harmed in the process.”
In contrast, other environmental organizations have criticized Trump’s selection, arguing that Burgum lacks the necessary experience outside the fossil fuel sector to effectively manage public lands.
In North Dakota, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Interior Department oversees 58,000 acres of surface land and 4.1 million acres of mineral estate. The BLM manages around 2,500 federal oil and gas leases and holds trust responsibilities for over 3,000 leases on the Fort Berthold Reservation and Turtle Mountain Tracts in the northern part of the state.
“Doug Burgum comes from an oil state, but North Dakota is not a public lands state," stated Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the conservation group Center for Western Priorities. "His cozy relationship with oil billionaires may endear him to Donald Trump, but he has no experience that qualifies him to oversee the management of 20 percent of America’s lands."
Zack Colman contributed to this report.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
"We're going to do things with energy and with land — Interior — that is going to be incredible," Trump stated during a gathering at Mar-a-Lago. He emphasized that Burgum "is going to head the Department of Interior and he's going to be fantastic."
Burgum made his fortune by selling his software company, which facilitated a connection with Trump, who had considered Burgum as a potential running mate for the 2024 election.
If the Senate confirms his nomination, Burgum would be responsible for overseeing over 500 million acres of federal land, as well as the fossil fuels and minerals located beneath it, making him a vital figure in Trump’s vision for increasing oil and gas production.
Burgum would be involved in creating policies to fulfill Trump’s "drill, baby, drill" promise, which includes leasing federal lands for oil, natural gas, and coal extraction, along with establishing safety regulations for offshore oil operations.
However, Trump has not shown the same enthusiasm for renewable energy initiatives, which the Biden administration aimed to expand on public lands. It is expected that Trump will encourage Burgum to reduce or terminate many of Biden's programs focused on developing large wind farms along the East Coast and other renewable energy projects on public lands.
During Trump's first term, his administration sought to reduce regulations concerning rig safety, climate change, and protections under the Endangered Species Act, with the goal of facilitating oil companies' operations on public lands. Trump's recent comments characterizing oil as "liquid gold" and suggesting that crude production would soar under his administration compared to Biden's have led observers to anticipate that he will pursue new avenues to dismantle regulatory barriers established by the current administration.
North Dakota stands as the third-largest oil-producing state in the U.S. and has more than four million acres under federal oversight. As governor, Burgum advocated for carbon capture technologies aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel extraction and other industrial processes.
This approach aligns with Trump's objective to enhance fossil fuel production while also incorporating technological advancements to mitigate environmental impact, according to Collin O’Mara, CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.
“I think he'll be a very strong champion of the energy dominance agenda,” O’Mara remarked. “But in North Dakota, he tried to find some level of balance to make sure that important conservation areas, important areas for tourism, weren't harmed in the process.”
In contrast, other environmental organizations have criticized Trump’s selection, arguing that Burgum lacks the necessary experience outside the fossil fuel sector to effectively manage public lands.
In North Dakota, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Interior Department oversees 58,000 acres of surface land and 4.1 million acres of mineral estate. The BLM manages around 2,500 federal oil and gas leases and holds trust responsibilities for over 3,000 leases on the Fort Berthold Reservation and Turtle Mountain Tracts in the northern part of the state.
“Doug Burgum comes from an oil state, but North Dakota is not a public lands state," stated Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the conservation group Center for Western Priorities. "His cozy relationship with oil billionaires may endear him to Donald Trump, but he has no experience that qualifies him to oversee the management of 20 percent of America’s lands."
Zack Colman contributed to this report.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
