Virginia Cramer, virginia.cramer@sierraclub.org
A federal judge has ruled that William Perry Pendley has been serving illegally as head 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. He continued to serve in an acting position even after the Trump Administration withdrew his nomination to be the agency’s director last month.
Pendley’s tumultuous time as BLM’s director was met with widespread opposition. Pendley had 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, Athan Manuel, director of lands protection issued the following statement.
“The removal of William Perry Pendley is welcome news for public lands and everyone who depends on them. At best during his time at the helm, he 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.
“What’s needed now is a leader at the Bureau of Land Management who will fight for the protection of lands and waters to safeguard people.”
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