President to tap Caswell as head of BLM

On May 30 U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne praised President Bush’s intention to nominate James Caswell as the next director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Caswell would fill the vacancy resulting from BLM Director Kathleen Clarke’s departure from the position in February 2007. Jim Hughes has been serving as acting director.

“I’ve known Jim Caswell personally and admire his ‘can-do’ attitude, pragmatic leadership style and outstanding management skills,” Kempthorne said. “His considerable supervisory experience with the U.S. Forest Service, his proven expertise in coordinating endangered species programs on public lands and his ability to build strong, effective partnerships make him well-qualified for this position.”

Caswell currently heads the State of Idaho’s Office of Species Conservation, following a 33-year career in various government agencies, including BLM.

—Alan Bailey