Doug Burgum, a promoter of oil and gas, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to lead the Interior Department, a role in which he will oversee drilling and mining policies on federal lands and waters.

The 79-18 vote for Burgum puts him in charge of nearly 500 million acres of public land, 1.7 billion acres of offshore waters, and more than 70,000 employees across the country tasked with protecting wildlife and endangered species, managing national parks and maintaining tribal lands.

He is expected to be a key player to implement President Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda that calls for making it easier and cheaper for oil companies to operate, and loosening protections for wildlife as well as easing limits on air and water pollution.

In addition to leading the Interior Department, Burgum is also to run a White House council charged with encouraging more oil and gas development. The role of the council is still undefined but it is expected to help meet Trump’s goal of selling more American oil and gas to Europe and Asia.

— The New York Times