Oppose anti-public lands zealot’s nomination to lead BLM

President Trump has nominated former New Mexico Congressman Steven Pearce to serve as the next director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This nomination poses a direct threat to the future of America’s public lands. The Senate must reject it.

Earlier this year, when politicians in Congress tried to put millions of acres of public lands up for sale, people from across the country and across the political spectrum forcefully pushed back. When the administration attempted to rescind the Roadless Rule that protects millions of acres and is the heart of America’s wildlands, more than 600,000 people submitted comments, with over 99 percent opposed. And when the Trump administration moved to eliminate the Public Lands Conservation Rule, 98 percent of public comments rejected that rollback.

The message from the public has been loud and clear: Americans want their public lands protected. They want forests, watersheds, wildlife, and outdoor recreation safeguarded, and they expect public land managers to serve the public—not billionaires and polluting industries.

The nomination of Steven Pearce is a glaring example that this administration is either not listening or simply does not care what the American people think. Pearce has long supported selling off public lands and weakening foundational conservation laws. He is a former oil and gas executive with a long history of doing the industry’s bidding, creating an undeniable conflict of interest. Entrusting him with oversight of 245 million acres of public lands would all but guarantee more giveaways to extractive industries and fewer protections for the people and places that depend on a healthy, intact landscape.

The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for some of the most treasured landscapes in the country. We cannot hand that responsibility to someone who has spent his career trying to undermine them.

Please write to your Senators today and urge them to oppose Steven Pearce’s nomination.