Sierra Club Statement on Trump’s Nomination of Steve Pearce to Lead BLM - CleanTechnica

Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. Representative Steve Pearce (R-NM) to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the federal agency responsible for managing approximately 245 million acres of public surface land and 700 million acres of subsurface mineral rights. Pearce, who served multiple terms in Congress and unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate and governor in New Mexico, has a record of opposing national monuments, voting against climate change measures, and supporting oil and gas interests, particularly in regions like the Permian Basin. This nomination follows Trump’s earlier, withdrawn pick of Kathleen Sgamma due to controversy over her comments on the January 6 Capitol Riot. The Sierra Club strongly criticized Pearce’s nomination. Dan Ritzman, the organization’s Director of Conservation, highlighted Pearce’s history as a “climate change denier” and an ally of polluters, arguing that his leadership would prioritize corporate interests over public access and environmental protection. The statement emphasized that Pearce’s approach