LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, Steve Pearce was fully confirmed as the new Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Both Nevada Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto voted against Pearce’s confirmation, voicing concerns about his willingness to sell off public lands. The BLM Director oversees nearly 245 million acres of public land and makes important decisions around public access and resource management. Pearce has a long track record of supporting public land sell-offs, despite evading questions about it during his confirmation hearing.
Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:
“We appreciate Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto for voting against Steve Pearce as BLM Director. His long record of supporting land transfers makes clear he’s willing to hand Nevada’s public lands to the highest bidder, with little regard for who buys them or how they’re used. Nevadans value our public lands, and we won’t stand by while another Trump ally tries to turn them into private commodities.”
Leo Murrieta, Executive Director of Make the Road Action Nevada, issued the following statement:
“Nevadans understand how important our public lands are because they are part of our everyday lives. More than 85% of Nevada’s land is federally managed, the highest percentage in the country. These decisions impact our communities, our environment, and our future. There is a serious concern about Steve Pearce’s record supporting public land sell-offs and policies that could open these lands to private interests. Our public lands belong to all of us. Nevadans deserve leadership that will protect them for future generations.”
Barbara Hartzell, Executive Director of Native Voters Alliance NV, issued the following statement:
“Let’s call this what it is: a terrible choice for Nevada and a dangerous one for Indian Country. Steve Pearce has spent years signaling that public lands are for sale. In a state like ours, where public lands shape our economy, our water, our access, our culture, and our future, that’s not a small red flag. That’s a five-alarm fire. For Indigenous peoples, these lands carry memory, ceremony, and responsibility. They are not disposable, and they are not his to bargain away.
“His record makes one thing painfully clear: when he looks at public lands, he doesn’t see outdoor recreation, living ecosystems, or the ancestral homelands of Tribal Nations. He sees inventory. The Bureau of Land Management was never meant to be the Bureau of Land Liquidation. If Director Pearce intends to treat our public lands like a clearance sale, he should expect fierce opposition from Indigenous voices and every American who understands a simple truth: once these lands are gone, they are gone for good.”
Kristee Watson, Executive Director of Nevada Conservation League, issued the following statement:
“In Nevada, where over 80% of our lands are federally managed, 92% of Nevadans support keeping national monument protections in place, and our public lands fuel a $13.7 billion outdoor recreation industry, the responsibility of the Bureau of Land Management carries enormous consequences for our state and the entire West.
“Steve Pearce has spent his career pushing to sell off public lands, rolling back national monument protections, and siding with the oil and gas industry — and now, he holds the keys to over 245 million acres of public lands nationwide, including 48 million acres right here in Nevada. Given his track record and deep ties to the oil and gas industry, Nevadans have every reason to be concerned that our lands will be managed for dirty-energy interests rather than for affordable, homegrown clean energy that benefits our communities.
“Nevadans — and Westerners across the political spectrum – already rejected this sell-off agenda last year when Rep. Mark Amodei tried to put thousands of acres of our lands on the auction block. We will be watching closely and will sound the alarm if Pearce’s decisions put our lands, communities, and our economy at risk. We’re grateful to Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen for standing up for Nevada and making clear: our public lands belong to us, and they are not for sale.”
Tom Lenard, State Director for Climate Power, issued the following statement:
“Steve Pearce doesn’t see Nevada’s public lands. He sees an opportunity. His entire record points to one outcome: handing our land to oil and gas companies while Nevadans foot the bill for higher energy costs and a dirtier environment. Nevada has 48 million acres of public land that could power a clean energy future and fuel our outdoor economy for generations. Pearce wants to auction it off to the highest bidder instead. Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto were right to reject him, and Nevadans should expect a fight every step of the way.”
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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media. Learn more at https://www.battlebornprogress.org/.