Photo: AFP
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a former software executive with significant wealth, will be his choice for interior secretary. "He's going to lead the Department of Interior, and it's going to be fantastic," Trump said while dressed in a tuxedo at a gala held at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida. Trump further stated that he would make a formal announcement on Friday. Burgum, aged 68, has positioned himself as a traditional, business-oriented conservative. Prior to supporting Trump, Burgum had competed against him for the Republican presidential nomination but later withdrew and became a steadfast Trump supporter, participating in fundraisers and advocating for Trump on television. At the gala, which included tech mogul Elon Musk, actor Sylvester Stallone, and members of Trump's incoming administration, Trump commended his latest cabinet selections and delivered some of his most extensive remarks since his presidential victory speech. "Nobody knew we were going to win it the way we won it," Trump remarked. He also playfully teased Musk about his extended stay at Mar-a-Lago, where Musk has been involved in several of Trump's meetings. "I can't get him out of here. He just loves this place. And I like having him here," Trump said. At the event's conclusion, Musk took the stage and declared, "The public has given us a mandate that could not be more clear. The people have spoken, the people want change." Since his victory, Trump has appointed several loyalists with limited experience to key cabinet roles, surprising some allies and indicating his intent to reshape and, in some cases, test America's institutions. The interior secretary will manage policies governing the use of 500 million acres (202.3 million hectares) of federal and tribal land, accounting for a fifth of the nation's surface area. Under Biden, the agency became central to his climate change agenda by expediting the permitting of offshore wind and solar energy projects and establishing a program to lease lands for conservation similarly to how they are for development. Burgum is anticipated to focus on boosting oil, gas, and mineral production on federal lands and waters. This role would likely involve increasing new leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and on federal lands in oil-producing states such as Wyoming and New Mexico. Biden had vowed to halt new federal leasing for oil extraction but was legally prevented from doing so. Under Trump, the interior leadership could dismantle Biden's five-year offshore drilling plan, which had a historically low number of auctions scheduled, and expand the acreage offered at Congressionally-mandated onshore sales. Drilling activities on federal lands and waters contribute to about a quarter of US oil production and 12 percent of gas production. The number of drilling permits approved on federal lands decreased by 16 percent between fiscal 2020, the final year of Trump's first administration, and fiscal 2023, according to data from the US Bureau of Land Management. Acreage in new onshore leases dropped by 95 percent.
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