Lawmakers Express Concerns About BLM Nominee

In an August 10, 2020, letter to President Trump, all Democratic Senators expressed opposition to William Perry Pendley’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The letter, led by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), was signed by all 45 Democratic Senators, as well as Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-ME). Concerns highlighted in the letter include Pendley’s climate change denial, advocacy for selling public lands, and attempts to undermine tribes. “Over the years, Mr. Pendley has consistently called for selling off public lands, which runs contrary to the balanced approach to managing public lands policy in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976,” the letter reads. The letter cites a statement from Pendley calling climate change “political science or junk science, not real science.” The lawmakers also highlight Pendley’s interactions over the years with Native American tribes: “Mr. Pendley has on many prior occasions mischaracterized, mocked, or undermined tribes’ experiences, rights, and religion. This includes arguing against legal precedent that views tribal members as members of sovereign political entities, rather than as a racial group.” The Senators urge Trump “to identify a new, qualified candidate for this critical position - one who supports public lands and the mission of the Bureau of Land Management.”...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news