Gabe Garcia welcomes role as new BLM Central California District Manager

California
Media Contact
Portrait of Gabe Garcia. Man in ball cap and red shirt.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management has selected Gabriel Garcia to serve as the new District Manager for the Central California District. In this position, Garcia will be responsible for roughly 2.2 million acres of BLM-managed public lands stretching from the Pacific coast through the Central Valley across the Sierra Nevada to the California-Nevada border.

The Central California District manages a variety of National Conservation Land Units, including 12 wilderness areas, 33 wilderness study areas, four national monuments, three wild and scenic rivers, two national scenic and historic trails, and the BLM's only national scenic area, the Alabama Hills. Five BLM field offices and 260 employees oversee these lands across 42 counties.

“I am pleased to welcome Gabe into this new role where his knowledge of public lands, planning, and recreation will be utilized and benefit the communities and stakeholders we serve,” said BLM California State Director Joe Stout.

Garcia brings more than 22 years of experience with the Bureau of Land Management, most recently as the Field Manager of the Bakersfield Field Office, which manages 600,000 acres of public lands spanning eight counties in Central California. While there, Garcia dedicated over a decade working with the oil and gas program throughout the state of California. In addition, he saw the completion of the Bakersfield Resource Management Plan, the expansion of the Piedras Blancas Light Station into the California Coastal National Monument, the completion of Forest Health Projects within the Case Mountain Recreation Area and oversaw multiple major wildfire incidents.

“It is a tremendous privilege to be a steward of such a diverse landscape and spectacular cross-section of California that is enjoyed and utilized in a variety of ways,” says Garcia. “I look forward to supporting the BLM managers, staff and specialists who are fantastic at handling the popularity of our recreation areas, while building partnerships with other agencies and communities. Together we can leverage resources and enhance the work being done on the ground.”

Prior to his position as Bakersfield Field Manager, Garcia served as the Assistant Field Manager for Minerals and as a Planning Coordinator where he oversaw the many facets of the oil and gas program within the field office. Throughout his BLM career, Garcia has worked in various capacities within the planning, oil and gas, and natural resource programs. Garcia’s time as Field Manager has afforded him opportunities to establish and maintain strong partnerships with other agencies, organizations, and the public to manage important public land resources. He looks forward to expanding on these as he moves into his new role as District Manager.

Garcia graduated from Chico State University with a Bachelor of Science in biology and holds a master’s degree in business administration from National University. When not in the office, Gabe enjoys family time, traveling, and recreating on public lands. Garcia replaces Chris Heppe, who has taken a position with the BLM California State Office.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.