DENVER—President Donald Trump today nominated former U.S. Representative Steve Pearce of New Mexico to run the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that oversees 245 million acres of national public lands. In Congress, Pearce amassed a lengthy anti-public lands record, co-sponsoring numerous bills that would have undermined the Antiquities Act, made it easier to sell off national public lands, and open national forests to road-building and clear-cutting.
Pearce’s staunch opposition to public lands made him a founding member of the Center for American Progress’s “Anti-Parks Caucus.” He opposed the designation of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in his own congressional district, which is now recognized as a major economic driver for the Las Cruces economy. Over his seven terms in Congress, Pearce received a lifetime score of four percent from the League of Conservation Voters. His attempts to sell off New Mexico’s public lands were a central issue when he ran for governor of New Mexico in 2018, ultimately contributing to his loss.
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“Steve Pearce’s nomination is even more proof that President Trump and Interior Secretary Burgum are determined to undermine, sell out, and eventually sell off America’s public lands. Pearce’s entire political career has been dedicated to blocking Americans’ access to public lands while giving the oil and gas industry free rein to drill and frack anywhere they wanted.
“Congress should quickly reject this nomination and tell the president to pay attention to what voters overwhelmingly want—public lands that are protected and managed for our kids and grandkids. Westerners spoke with one voice earlier this year when Senator Mike Lee tried to sell off our public lands. Nominating Steve Pearce to run the BLM shows that President Trump wasn’t listening.”
Featured image: 2018 political ad attacking Steve Pearce’s land sell-off record, archived in CWP’s How Public Lands Won the West comp reel