While on summer Congressional recess, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) heard from constituents across Montana who voiced concerns over the Trump administration’s latest controversial and anti-public lands political appointee, Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) William Pendley.
Daines promised Montanans that, before publicly supporting or opposing Pendley, he would first interview him about his interest in selling off America’s public lands. Daines has yet to do so, instead, dismissing constituent concerns about Pendley’s extreme anti-public lands positions as “overblown.”
“Sen. Daines failed Montana when he put mega-lobbyist David Bernhardt in charge of public lands. Now, he is passing the buck by letting Bernhardt install an anti-public lands zealot as the director of BLM without Senate confirmation,” said Chris Saeger, Executive Director of the Western Values Project. “Daines brushed off concerns that Pendley would pursue his dream of selling off our public lands. With Congressional recess coming to an end, he still hasn’t announced a meeting with Pendley to challenge his dangerous anti-public lands stance. Montanas deserve better and our public lands demand more.”
Concerns about Pendley, who joined the BLM as the Acting Director in July, are far from “overblown.” He has spent nearly 30 years suing the federal government on behalf of oil, gas and coal corporations, and has openly called for the federal government to sell all Western public lands.
Pendley previously called for revoking monument designations and repealing the Antiquities Act and has repeatedly criticized former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for not going far enough with his illegal monument reduction recommendations. Pendley called the recently gutted Endangered Species Act “the pit bull of environmental law,” claiming that it did not rely on “good science.”
Sen. Daines has been touring around Montana while on summer recess but has yet to address the growing concern over Pendley’s appointment, going so far as to call it “overblown.” With other members of Montana’s Congressional delegation working to hold Pendley and his reckless record accountable, Daines’ inaction speaks louder than his talking points can.
Daines’ defense of Pendley’s controversial record calls into question Daines’ own record on public lands protections. While Daines has claimed he supports the Land and Water Conservation Fund – a critical public lands and parks program – support seems only to go as far as a talking point will take him. The legislation currently languishes without funding, jeopardizing public lands in Montana and across the country.