The namesake of North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park is well known for the adage, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Seek diplomacy and compromise, but be willing to stand up for what’s best for the nation.

Those words must have resonated with the state’s most recent governor and Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum. 

The North Dakota native and tech entrepreneur delivered balanced and reasonable responses Thursday at his confirmation hearing, and showed willingness to hear points from both side of the aisle. But as he was peppered by members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a variety of energy and land-use topics, he knew the issues he was ready to fight for.

Burgum’s confirmation seems to be all but assured and based on his sincere showing Thursday he would be a fine selection to lead the department that oversees 11 federal agencies that range from the Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, to Indian Affairs. 

Montanans should be pleased with the pick as the state would benefit from an Interior leader with Burgum’s first-hand understanding of the issues facing a state with two immensely popular national parks, swaths of federal land and seven tribal reservations. 

Burgum was unflinching in his commitment to double down on President-elect Trump’s demand for energy dominance for the sake of national security, and hammered on his promise to pursue existing oil and gas leases on federal lands.  

Aside from economic benefits, domestic energy production, he said, is cleaner and safer for the country and world. 

“When energy production is restricted in America it doesn’t reduce demand, it just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran,” he said. “These autocratic leaders not only don’t care about the environment, but they use their revenue from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.” 

To be clear, the U.S. is already the world leader in oil and gas drilling. As President Joe Biden leaves the White House, the U.S. is the largest crude oil producer on the planet, exceeding Russia and Saudi Arabia. As of last spring, the Biden administration had approved more permits for oil and gas on public lands than Trump had at the same point in his first presidency, and it did so while embracing clean energy technology. Biden proved the two priorities can coexist. 

Burgum’s track record suggests he’s on board. As governor, he oversaw record energy production in North Dakota while committing to using innovative carbon capture and storage methods to make the state carbon neutral within the next five years. 

In taking questions from Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, Burgum touted North Dakota’s push for clean coal technology.  

“We have an opportunity to decarbonize, produce clean coal and with that produce reliable baseload for this country,” he told Daines, who gave Burgum a strong endorsement. 

Questions from Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., elicited some of Burgum’s most interesting responses on Park Service priorities. She noted the “economic juggernaut” national parks can be for gateway communities with outdoor recreation accounting for over a trillion dollars in annual spending. 

Burgum agreed that protecting outdoor assets is important for not just the economy, but the country’s overall well-being. 

“I think one thing that we understand is that we just need more people to get off their devices, get outdoors,” he told Cantwell. “We are facing a mental health and addiction crisis in our country and part of the answer for many people is getting that connection back to the outdoors.” 

Burgum also impressed committee members on his thoughtful answers about Indian country, particularly when it comes to law enforcement needs. 

“Some of the tribal reservations have become harbors for criminal organizations because they know that we don’t have enough resources there and then our local county sheriffs, the state police, in many cases didn’t have jurisdiction,” he told Cantwell. 

Interior secretary is a big job, but it’s clear Burgum has ample experience and is ready for the spotlight. As he settles into his new Washington, D.C. office, he’ll do well to remember his North Dakota roots and embrace Roosevelt’s conservation legacy as he navigates the challenges that are inevitably ahead.