Why It Matters: The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the most critical federal departments for sportsmen and women. DOI manages roughly 500 million acres of surface land across the country, much of which is open to hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational shooting, which makes the DOI a key facilitator of access for sportsmen and women. Additionally, DOI provides a wide array of conservation programs covering the entire spectrum of land, water, and fish and wildlife conservation. Now officially sworn in, Secretary Burgum will serve as one of the most important individuals in the country for sportsmen and women.
Highlights:
- Last week, the United States Senate voted to confirm Governor Doug Burgum to serve as the next Secretary of the Interior on a strong bipartisan vote of 79 to 18.
- The impressive bipartisan confirmation vote demonstrates now Secretary Burgum’s commitment to pragmatic and thoughtful solutions to the most pressing issues facing the Department of the Interior, including many issues of importance to sportsmen and women.
- Leading up to the vote, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) led a letter in support of Secretary Burgum’s nomination and conducted numerous outreach campaigns to the Senate to encourage the advancement of this key nomination.
On Thursday, January 30, the U.S. Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as the next Secretary of the Interior on a widely bipartisan vote of 79 – 18, a sign of the strong support for his nomination. Leading up to the vote, CSF led in support of Burgum’s nomination through developing a letter that was signed by more than 40 of the nation’s leading hunting, fishing, shooting, and other organizations, and supported Secretary Burgum’s confirmation through a number of vote alerts to Members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus.
“The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation congratulates Secretary Burgum on his swift and decisive confirmation vote, which is a testament to his commitment and ability to lead the Department of the Interior,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “CSF looks forward to working with the Secretary to advance issues of importance to hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, trappers.”
DOI is an indispensable federal department for sportsmen and women. Secretary Burgum brings critical experience and knowledge to the Department of the Interior, and will be a champion for conservation, public access, and other issues of importance to sportsmen and women. His impressive background in the private sector paired with his record of success as Governor of North Dakota will position him to effectively lead DOI.