Ian Brickey (202) 675-6270 or ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Early this morning, the Trump Administration quietly withdrew the nomination of William Perry Pendley to serve as director of the Bureau of Land Management. Pendley had served more than a year as the BLM acting director, a role that was supposed to be temporary.
Pendley’s tumultuous time as BLM’s director has brought attention to his controversial beliefs and past statements, as well as widespread opposition. Pendley has previously argued that the Founders intended for the federal government to sell off all public lands, he required a 17-page recusal list detailing his ties to industries standing to gain from the sale of public lands, and he penned an op-ed arguing that the Black Lives Matter movement was based on a "terrible lie."
In response to the withdrawal of Pendley’s nomination, Lena Moffitt, Director of the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, released the following statement:
“William Perry Pendley’s tenure as head of the Bureau of Land Management, like the entire Trump Administration, has been a disaster for our public lands. At best, he’s demonstrated a total disregard for the health of our communities and our wild places, prioritizing giveaways to polluting fossil fuel corporations. At worst, he actively worked against marginalized communities.
“Senate Republicans spent two weeks congratulating themselves for the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act while offering nothing more than empty promises of ‘tough questions’ at Pendley’s confirmation hearing. It appears that the newfound environmentalism of Republican senators like Cory Gardner and Steve Daines is only skin-deep. At the same time, we thank the 47 Democratic and independent senators who signed last week’s letter opposing Pendley and his anti-public lands agenda.
“We need leaders who will fight for the protection of lands and waters to safeguard people, not someone with questionable ethics and a blatant anti-science, anti-conservation agenda. A BLM without William Perry Pendley is a temporary victory for our public lands after years of attack by the Trump Administration.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.