Virginia Cramer, virginia.cramer@sierraclub.org
A federal judge in Montana issued an order late Friday invalidating decisions made while William Perry Pendley was serving illegally as head of the Bureau of Land Management. The order applies to three land-use plan revisions in Montana, but raises questions about the legality of other actions taken by the agency under Pendley’s 424-day tenure as de facto acting director.
In response, Athan Manuel, director of lands protection at Sierra Club issued the following statement.
“Yet again the courts have had to step in to hold the Trump administration accountable-- not only to prevent Pendley from continuing to hold his position illegally, but now to re-examine decisions made under his questionable watch.
“At best during his time at the helm, Pendley 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. The public, our lands, water and wildlife deserve better.”
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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.