Jerry Kenska, assistant field manager for lands and minerals at the BLM Vernal Field Office, briefed attendees on staffing and workload changes following a federal administration transition. "Since the change of administration... we're down about 20 positions overall," Kenska said, describing district-level losses and a hiring freeze that has extended into October.

Kenska outlined workload metrics: of 307 federal APDs submitted statewide this year, 306 came to the Vernal office (the remaining one to Richfield), he said. Of those submissions, 157 were tied to federal leases and 149 to Indian trust leases. He reported that the bureau has approved 323 APDs so far this year and that about 294 remain pending.

Kenska also described administrative impacts tied to early-review controls under different administrations: initial delegations of approval authority were temporarily withdrawn for certain categories of projects during transition periods, affecting the pace and locus of approvals. He noted an ongoing technical issue with the agency's electronic submission system (Atomo) that has limited the ability to process attachments and slowed application processing.

Ending: Kenska said the Vernal office is exploring internal streamlining for NEPA, Section 106 and ESA consultations and that a bureau-level APD processing strike team is reviewing procedures; he encouraged stakeholders to raise questions at the upcoming Uinta Basin Energy Summit where BLM will present additional details.