The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as interior secretary late Thursday after President Donald Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to spearhead the Republican administration's ambitions to boost fossil fuel production.

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The U.S. Senate officially confirmed Doug Burgum to be the 55th Secretary of the Interior. The final vote was 79 to 18. Burgum will now be in charge of overseeing the nation’s public lands, national parks, and wildlife refuges.

The Senate has voted 79-18 to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to serve as Interior Secretary in President Donald Trump's administration.

Burgum succeeds Deb Haaland, who cut back on oil and gas sales and prioritized solar and wind projects on federal lands.

Doug Burgum, a billionaire software industry entrepreneur, was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s new interior secretary on Thursday. Burgum abandoned his presidential campaign and quickly endorsed Trump in 2023. Trump has directed Burgum to tap into fossil fuel resources in the US, including from public lands.

The former governor of North Dakota is promoting President Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda and wants more oil, gas and mining on public lands.

The land in Utah owned by the federal government — about two-thirds of the state — is now under new management. The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior by a vote of 79 to 18.

Immediately after Doug Burgum's bipartisan confirmation for Interior Secretary, North Dakota's political leaders praised the vote, calling him the "right leader at the right time."

Doug Burgum will be the point person for public land management and President Trump’s “drill, baby, drill" agenda to expand oil and gas development.

The former North Dakota governor will play a key role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel, anti-renewable-energy vision.

Former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the next Secretary of the Interior.