Andrew Archuleta, the former director of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wyoming office, has officially retired after being placed on administrative leave in the wake of an ethics investigation.
His retirement was effective as of Monday, according to Interior Department sources and documents reviewed by POLITICO’s E&E News.
Archuleta had served as the state director since January 2022, overseeing management of 17.5 million acres of public land and 40 million acres of subsurface mineral estate across Wyoming — the most land and mineral oversight of any BLM state office.
His departure follows an investigation by the Office of Inspector General, which concluded that Archuleta had violated federal ethics rules and internal procedures. The specifics of the violations have not been publicly disclosed.
Kris Kirby, who had been serving as the associate state director, has assumed the role of acting state director and will continue in that capacity for the time being, according to Interior officials familiar with the transition.
The BLM, part of the US Department of the Interior, plays a critical role in managing federal lands and natural resources, particularly in states like Wyoming where energy development, grazing, and conservation efforts often intersect.
No official announcement has been made regarding the search for a permanent replacement or a timeline for filling the vacancy.
