The Senate confirmed Neil Kornze as head of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tuesday evening.
President Obama tapped the former aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for the post in November. Kornze will direct the Interior Department branch that regulates oil-and-gas drilling, renewable power development and conservation on huge swaths of federal land.
{mosads}Kornze worked in the acting capacity as BLM’s deputy director for a little over a year. Previously, Kornze served as a senior official at BLM since 2011 and from 2003-2011 worked in a variety of posts for Reid.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell applauded the Senate’s confirmation of Kornze.
“With strong Western roots and a deep understanding of the issues, , Neil for more than a decade has proven himself to be a creative and results-oriented professional, and has been a great asset to the Interior Department when it comes to promoting smart energy development and driving thoughtful landscape-level planning efforts,” Jewell said in a statement Tuesday.
“The BLM is one of the most complex federal land management agencies, and I know that Neil’s practical and commonsense approach to problem solving will help the Bureau fulfill its multiple use and sustained yield mission.”