Steve Pearce Nomination Puts Public Lands at Risk

Posted on by Alison Gallensky

Next Steps, Committee Vote

Pinyon pine on hillside overlooking a broad landscape
Datil Well Recreation Area Campground, New Mexico, BLM New Mexico (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Last November, President Trump nominated Stevan Pearce, a former U.S. representative from New Mexico, to run the Bureau of Land Management. In Congress, Steve Pearce supported bills to privatize public land, gut the Antiquities Act, prioritize oil and gas drilling, and weaken the Endangered Species Act.

The Bureau of Land Management oversees 245 million acres of national public lands mostly in the western United States. According to their website, “[as] steward for much of America’s public lands, the BLM manages some of the nation’s most historic and scenic landscapes, as well as vast natural resources, for the benefit of all Americans.”

Rocky Mountain Wild has joined the chorus of voices opposing this nomination. Editorial boards, outdoor voices, and conservation advocates across the West have spoken out against the nomination. States with deep public-lands traditions—Montana, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah—have seen strong and sustained tradition and online media backlash. Both Colorado Senators have publicly opposed the nomination before a hearing was even scheduled, signaling extraordinary concern.

Congress must reject this nomination- The Senate should reject any nominee who would auction off public lands and instead demand a Bureau of Land Management leader committed to protecting public lands for the American people.

What is happening now?

Despite the widespread opposition, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held on Pearce’s nomination on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. You can watch an archived video of the hearing and see Colorado Public Radio’s coverage here. Pearce’s nomination needs to be voted on in committee before it can head to the Senate floor where it only takes a simple majority to confirm him as head of the Bureau of Land Management.

What can I do?

Senators need to hear that Pearce is the wrong person to lead the Bureau of Land Management. The Bureau needs a leader who will protect our lands “for the benefit of all Americans.”

If you are in Colorado:

  • Thank Senator Hickenlooper for speaking out against the nomination and thank Senator Bennet for also publicly opposing the nomination. Ask them to educate their fellow Senators about the risks Pearce would pose as the director of the Bureau of Land Management.
  • Most effective: reach out to your Senators directly. Get contact information for Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet here.
  • Still useful (and easier): Use The Wilderness Society’s comment form here.

In other states:

  • If your Senator is on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (member list here), tell them that you oppose Steve Pearce’s nomination because of his record on public lands and tell them to be tough in the hearing.
  • Share your concerns with both of you Senators. Tell them how you cherish public lands and that Steve Pearce has shown his management is a danger to these lands.
  • Most effective: reach out to your Senators directly. Get contact information for your Senators here.
  • Still useful (and easier): Use The Wilderness Society’s comment form here.

Tell me more!

Here are some resources to learn more about Stevan Pearce’s record and opposition to the nomination.

Background Information

Press

Letters and Press Releases