North Dakota's oil state leader gets surprising federal nomination from Trump
Trump picks North Dakota governor **Doug Burgum** to run federal lands agency with focus on expanding drilling operations. Environmental groups prepare for new round of legal challenges
In a move that points to his energy-first agenda Trump has picked Doug Burgum - the leader of oil-rich North Dakota to manage Americas huge federal lands portfolio
Drill baby drill
The nomination puts Burgum (who runs a state thats known for its oil-drilling success) in charge of over 500-million acres of federal territory and off-shore areas. Its a pick that shows Trumps clear focus on expanding US drilling operations: many see this as a re-run of his first-term policies
Environmental watch-dogs arent happy with this choice and are getting ready to fight back in courts — just like they did during Trumps 2017-21 presidency. The choice of an oil-state governor for this key role makes their worries about climate-change impacts even stronger
The Interior Secretary job means Burgum would manage:
- National parks and monuments
- Wildlife areas
- Off-shore drilling zones
- Federal mining operations
- Native American tribal lands
This pick fits with Trumps long-time push for more US energy production but green groups say theyʼll use every legal tool to block harmful drilling plans
