The Denver Region: Rocky Mountain High

The Denver Regional Office conducts its work in areas which include energy, materials, water, land use, food, agriculture, federally sponsored or assisted health programs, income security programs, and program and budget information. In the energy area, the office reviews uranium mining and milling activities, onshore oil and gas production, and coal mining and leasing. The Office also reviews the activities of agencies responsible for administering, controlling, and patenting the region's Federal lands, including the leasing and sale of the lands' materials. Because nearly a third of the Denver region's land is federally owned, the land's use and development is of paramount regional importance and frequently the cause of controversy. The Office's work in the agricultural area often focuses on the factors affecting the region's production of food products from beef, sheep, and wheat. Several unique food-related facilities are located in the region. These facilities include a research center for seed viability and storage and a center for sugarbeet production research. The Denver Office also does considerable work in the area of federally sponsored or assisted health programs; primarily, the program which administers medical benefits to military dependents and retirees and the Indian Health Service. The Office does considerable work to better coordinate Federal, State, and local budget processes. The Office also has an audit staff at the Air Force Accounting and Finance Center.