New Bureau of Land Management Director confirmed by Senate
WASHINGTON — Today the United States Senate voted to confirm Steve Pearce as Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Opposed by over 150 organizations nationwide in addition to 31 on a bilingual sign on letter in the State of New Mexico, Steve Pearce will now oversee 245 million acres of national public lands, including 14.9 million acres in California, 13.5 million acres in New Mexico, 12.1 million acres in Arizona, 8.35 million acres in Colorado, and 22.8 million acres in Utah. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) terrain safeguards cultural and historical sites and provide the essential ecological health that sustains the West. In response, GreenLatinos leaders issue the following statements:
“Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide opposed Steve Pearce because he refused to disavow his unpopular tenure supporting public land sell offs. The burden is on him now to prove us wrong. He must prove that he can be trusted to keep every acre of New Mexico’s public land in the public trust for the next generation,” said Carlos Matutes, Sandia Park, NM-based New Mexico State Program Director at GreenLatinos.
“As a headwaters state, Colorado rivers are the foundation of the American West and deliver drinking water to communities as far as southern Texas and California. This water remains drinkable only when BLM prioritizes conservation over industrial extraction. Steve Pearce can now be the architect of his own legacy and he must decide if he wants to be remembered for restoring the might of our rivers or for turning our landscapes into dumping grounds,” said Ean Thomas Tafoya, Denver, CO-based GreenLatinos Vice President of States.
“Arizona’s 2.4 million Latinos face the daily reality of deadly extreme heat and dust storms caused by climate pollution on BLM land. This confirmation is Steve Pearce’s last chance to do the right thing–his grandchildren will inherit the consequences of his actions and are depending on him to protect their future from more water pollution, methane emission, and destruction of natural and cultural resources at places like Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument,” said Meisei Gonzalez, Salt Lake City, UT-based Climate Justice and Clean Air Advocate at GreenLatinos.
“The Golden State is well on its way to conserving and restoring 30% of California’s land and water by 2030, including in places where extreme heat, pollution and nature deprivation hurt Californians the most. As BLM Director, Steve Pearce has a unique opportunity to cooperate and equip the 15 million acres of BLM terrain in California to serve more wildlife, recreators and ranchers than ever before by enhancing landscape health. Let’s work together,” said Pedro Hernández, Fresno, CA-based California State Program Director at GreenLatinos.
“As newly confirmed BLM Director Steve Pearce’s first order of business should be to restore the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule (also known as the BLM Public Lands Rule). This innovative regulation creates opportunities for making a dignified living by restoring our public lands. The restoration industry supports 33 jobs per $1 million invested, compared to only 5.2 jobs per $1 million invested in oil and gas. Pearce should reinvest from gas fracking equipment into restoration and mitigation businesses to let this rule do its job and unlock the ecological and economic potential of the restoration and mitigation lease program,” said Olivia Juarez, Salt Lake City, UT-based Public Land Program Director at GreenLatinos.
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About GreenLatinos
(NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) GreenLatinos convenes an active comunidad of environmental, conservation, and climate justice leaders rooted in the power and wisdom of our culture, united to uplift our priorities, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
