[Press Release for September 28, 2009]
BLM Appoints Deputy Director, Operations

The Bureau of Land Management announced today that Mike Pool, current acting Deputy Director for Operations, has accepted the position permanently and will formally report in his new capacity on January 1, 2010.  His duties will include supervising the BLM’s senior executive team and providing management continuity between State Offices for all BLM programs.

“I am pleased to welcome Mike aboard as the permanent Deputy Director for Operations,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey.   “His 34 years as a career BLM employee have prepared him well, and we’ll all benefit from his continued commitment to the BLM here in Washington.”

Reflecting on his career so far, Pool says he is "most proud of the partnerships the BLM has forged with hundreds of organizations, friends groups, and governmental entities throughout the Nation.   Together with these partners, the BLM’s ability to manage public lands wisely for future generations is strengthened ten-fold.”

Pool served as acting Director from March 1 to August 7 of this year.  Prior to that, as BLM-California State Director, he oversaw 15.1 million acres of public lands in California and another 1.5 million in northwestern Nevada.   He started his career at the field level and worked in a variety of assignments in Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, Nevada, Washington D.C., and the Department of the Interior.

Pool holds a Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife science from New Mexico State University.  He was born in Arizona and grew up in Deming, New Mexico.   He and wife Nancy, a nurse administrator, raised two children, Jessica and Justin.

The BLM manages more land – 256 million acres – than any other Federal agency.  This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska.  The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.  The BLM’s 
>> multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.  The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.