In March 1969, Loesch was nominated by Richard Nixon for the position of Assistant Secretary of Interior for Public Land Management and confirmed by the Senate.
One of the most notable was the occupation of Interior Department offices in Washington D.C. in 1972 by members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), led by Dennis Banks[2] and Russell Means.
During his tenure, Loesch negotiated status agreements for the various territories, which today include Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
At the request of island leaders, Loesch drew on his legal background to draft some of the founding documents for these new entities.
[4] In early December 1972, Loesch received a telephone call from John Ehrlichman, Assistant to the President, requesting that he immediately release $50,000 from his discretionary fund for use by the White House.
[5] However, because he was deeply involved in critical negotiations concerning Indian water rights in Arizona, the Nixon White House found it necessary to "unfire" Loesch for several weeks,[6] before "refiring" him on January 20, 1973.
In that capacity, he advised Senators and drafted legislation on issues related to water resources, public land management, settlement of Indian claims and territories and possessions.