BOISE, ID – Public lands advocates in the West are urging Congress not to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The BLM manages nearly 12 million acres of land in Idaho, or more than a fifth of the state’s land mass. Trump’s nominee is Steve Pearce, a former New Mexico Congressman and oil executive.
John Robison, public lands and wildlife director with the Idaho Conservation League, said environmental groups did not believe the Trump administration would nominate someone friendly to their interests – but did not think the nominee would be someone seemingly intent on selling off most of the land he’s tasked with overseeing.
“What we didn’t expect is to see someone who has a track record and a vision for not having public lands in the future,” said Robison. “And so, that really is what makes Steve Pearce stand out in terms of a particularly inappropriate candidate.”
Robison said Pearce’s goal may be to dismantle the BLM. The former New Mexico Congressman has also aligned himself with the anti-government Bundys, although he distanced himself from their tactics in the 2016 occupation of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Supporters of Pearce’s nomination have touted his qualifications, saying he will help with the Trump administration’s mission to develop more energy resources, including fossil fuels, on federal lands.
Efforts to make selling off public land easier failed in Congress this year. Robison said that’s in part because of opposition from Idaho’s Congressional delegation.
“Sen. Risch, Sen. Crapo, Rep. Simpson, worked hard to see that language removed,” said Robison, “and to make sure that public lands stay in public hands.”
Robison noted that Risch is on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which will vet Pearce, and so he will play an important role in the nomination process.
Robison said the director of the BLM is important for Idahoans.
“We go camping with our kids, we go touring across the back country and recreating out there, and they’re also an economic force multiplier for our rural communities,” said Robison. “So public lands really make Idaho what it is and make Idahoans who they are.”
