President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he intends to choose North Dakota Governor Doug Burghum, a former software executive, to head the Department of the Interior.

Trump, wearing a formal suit at a ceremony held in Florida, said, "He will take over the Department of the Interior, and it will be great," adding that he would officially announce it on Friday.

Burghum (68 years old) portrays himself as a traditional conservative with a business mindset.

He ran against Trump for the Republican Party presidential nomination before withdrawing and becoming a staunch supporter of Trump, frequently appearing at fundraising events and defending him on television.

The Minister of the Interior will oversee the policies governing the use of 500 million acres of federal and tribal lands, which is one-fifth of the country's area.

Biden made the department central to his climate agenda by increasing permits for offshore wind and solar projects and creating a land leasing program for conservation in the same way that land is leased for development purposes.

Burghum is expected to take on the task of increasing the production of oil, gas, and minerals in federal lands and waters.