The U.S. Senate is expected to consider President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Steve Pearce, a former Republican New Mexico congressman and Vietnam War pilot, has proved to be a controversial pick to manage 245 million acres of federal land. Some veterans are among those urging senators to vote “no” on his nomination, saying he could push to sell off public land.
They point to a letter Pearce sent the former Speaker of the House in 2012 around reducing the federal budget deficit. He says, “divesting the federal government of its vast land holdings could pay down the deficit and reduce spending.”
Pearce continued, “Over 90% of this land is located in the western states and most of it we do not even need.”
Statements like that don’t land well with people like Janessa Goldbeck, a Marine Corps veteran and CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation.
“So when Steve Pearce says, we do not even need most of this land, he's not just talking about acreage, he's talking about eliminating veterans' jobs,” Goldbeck said in a Feb. 23 press call.
One in five BLM employees are veterans, according to the agency’s website. Goldbeck said veterans often work as wildland firefighters, conservation professionals, guides and outfitters.
Another issue environmental groups are pointing to is Pearce’s ties to the oil and gas industry. According to his federal ethics disclosure documents, he owns a company that rents equipment to oil fields. His documents say his wife will take over if he’s confirmed, though he will continue to get investment income.
The Western Energy Alliance and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) have called for a swift confirmation. Pearce also has stakes in farming operations.
“Pearce’s experience makes him thoroughly qualified to lead the BLM and tackle the issues federal lands ranchers are facing,” NCBA Executive Director of Natural Resources Kaitlynn Glover said in a press release.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing will be at 7:30 a.m. MT on Wednesday. It will be livestreamed online on the committee’s website.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
