Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: November 27, 2000

Contact: Tom Gorey 202/452-5031

Sylvia Baca Named Acting Director of BLM

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today announced that Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management, Sylvia V. Baca, will serve in a dual capacity as Assistant Secretary and Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management. She succeeds Tom Fry, who retired from federal service November 24. The appointment is effective immediately.

"I am delighted that Sylvia Baca has agreed to assume this additional responsibility and serve as both Assistant Secretary and as the BLM's Acting Director," Babbitt said. "She has a deep commitment to the management of America's public lands and the responsible development of the nation's natural resources."

Ms. Baca is no stranger to the BLM Director's position. She served a seven-month stint (January - August 1997) as Interim Director of the agency, replacing Act Director Mike Dombeck when he was appointed Director of the U.S. Forest Service. Ms. Baca currently serves as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management, the agency with oversight responsibility for the Bureau of Land Management, Minerals Management Service, and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement.

Ms. Baca has served as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management since February 29, 2000, when the U.S. Senate confirmed her for that position. Before that, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary since October 1998. Ms. Baca joined the Interior Department in 1995 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.

Before joining the Clinton Administration in 1995, Baca served as Director of Finance and Management for the City of Albuquerque, where she was responsible for the fiscal integrity of city assets. Ms. Baca also held several positions in the New Mexico State government, including service with the Legislative Finance Committee and as Director of the State's Minority and Small Business program.

A native of Santa Fe, Baca received a Bachelor of University Studies in 1981 and a Master of Public Administration in 1989 from the University of New Mexico.

The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land -- 264 million surface acres -- than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion and a workforce of some 9,000 full-time, permanent employees, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM preserves open space by managing the public lands for multiple uses, including outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, and mining, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources found on the public lands.

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