BLM names Mitchell Leverette as Eastern States Director
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Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director for Policy and Programs William Perry Pendley today announced the appointment of Mitchell Leverette as the new BLM Eastern States Director. Leverette will begin his new position on July 6.
“Mitch is a knowledgeable expert; has decades of experience as a geologist, team builder and leader; and understands the importance of our public lands to visitors, stakeholders and neighbors,” said Pendley. “We are all delighted with his appointment.”
In his new capacity as the Eastern States Director, Leverette is responsible for management actions on 40,000 surface and 39 million subsurface acres in the 31 states east of and that border the Mississippi River. His position also oversees administration of the General Land Office, which is the Nation’s central repository for records on public domain lands that date back to the founding of the country.
Leverette began his career with the BLM over 33 years ago, working his way up from staff geologist in the BLM California State Office to his current position as Acting Deputy Assistant Director for Energy, Minerals and Realty Management.
The hallmark of Leverette’s career was spent as Chief of the BLM Solid Minerals Division for 10 years, where he was responsible for development of policy and guidance that regulates and authorizes mining and leasing of minerals on Federal lands. In that capacity, he led the BLM’s completion of the Critical Minerals Report in response to Executive Order 13817, A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals. The report lays out a path to improve national security by identifying concerns about the U.S. supply of essential minerals.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the College of Charleston and a Master of Science degree in geology and geochemistry from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.