BLM Director Bob Abbey to Serve as Acting Director of the Minerals Management Service

05/28/2010
Last edited 09/29/2021

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey will serve as acting director of the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

“Bob Abbey's recent leadership on onshore energy reforms is exactly the kind of experience we need as we continue to reform and begin to restructure MMS,” said Secretary Salazar. “I appreciate Bob's willingness to help tackle this crisis in the Gulf.”

Abbey will begin the process of managing the reorganization of MMS into three separate agencies. He will remain BLM director during this period but will turn over his daily management duties to deputy director Mike Pool.

With more than 33 years of experience in resource management in federal and state government, Abbey was confirmed as BLM director in August 2009. A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Abbey is returning to Washington from the Incident Command Center in Louisiana where he has been helping to lead the Department of the Interior's response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

On May 19, 2010, Secretary Salazar ordered the fundamental restructuring of the MMS to be carried out in consultation with Congress. This action is the latest in a series of agency reforms Salazar has taken since January 2009, and will establish the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue. These three bureaus will replace the Minerals Management Service.

###
  • Press Release
    Visitors walk on a paved trail high in the mountains with the snowy peaks in the background.
    11/05/2026

    Interior and Partners Promote Events, Outdoor Recreation Ahead of Veterans Day

    The Department of the Interior today announced a slate of veteran-led outdoor recreation events on public lands and waters in the week surrounding Veterans Day, developed with partner agencies of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR). Alongside the events, Interior and partners published a new repository on Rec.gov — a single location where veterans, service members and military families can find information about many outdoor recreation opportunities across participating federal agencies.

    Read more
  • Press Release
    Jagged icy lake at sunset.
    11/05/2026

    Interior Proposes to Modernize BLM's Outdated Public Land Planning Rules

    The Department of the Interior is proposing updates to decades-old land use planning regulations to cut unnecessary red tape, improve coordination with state and local governments, and speed up decision-making for public lands across the country. The proposed changes are intended to make the Bureau of Land Management’s planning process more efficient, easier to understand and better aligned with current law and agency priorities.

    Read more
  • Press Release
    Person on horseback herding cattle through grassy field with hills in the background
    10/27/2026

    Secretary Burgum Signs Order to Support American Ranchers, Expand Grazing and Cut Red Tape

    In a significant move to bolster the nation’s livestock industry, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum today signed a Secretary’s Order to expand grazing opportunities, improve the health of federal rangelands, and provide critical support for America’s ranchers. The order implements President Trump’s Executive Order on “Supporting America’s Ranchers” and takes aggressive steps to increase domestic meat production and lower costs for consumers.

    Read more

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment