Doug Vilsack, son of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, was appointed as the new Colorado State Director of the Bureau of Land Management Wednesday.

Vilsack, the current assistant director for Colorado parks, wildlife and lands with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, will begin work Aug. 14 at the state BLM offices in Lakewood.

Working at the Colorado DNR since 2019, Vilsack was responsible for recommending, developing, negotiating, and communicating policy positions that affect parks, wildlife, and lands throughout the state. Prior to becoming assistant director, he served as director of legislative affairs at the Colorado DNR.

“I would like to say that it has been an honor to work with the team at DNR over the past six years to steward the state’s natural resources, and I look forward to carrying on that work with many of the same partners in conservation, outdoor recreation, agriculture, and energy in my new role with the BLM,” Vilsack said in a statement to the Denver Gazette.

“Doug Vilsack knows the people and lands of Colorado, with over 15 years of experience in the natural resources and energy fields, including roles in the public, private and non-profit sectors,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning.

Vilsack will oversee the management of 8.3 million acres of public lands and more than 27 million acres of federal sub-surface mineral estate in Colorado.

“We’re so pleased he has agreed to bring that expertise and the relationships he has built over decades to lead the BLM’s work in Colorado,” Stone-Manning said.

A practicing natural resources attorney, Vilsack attended the University of Colorado Law School and received his B.A. from Colorado College.

Vilsack’s father, Tom, served as Secretary of Agriculture in the Obama administration for eight years before returning to that position in 2021 under President Joe Biden.

Vilsack replaces Stephanie Connolly, who served as acting Colorado state director and will return to her role as BLM Colorado’s acting associate state director.