“A large coalition of environmental and social justice groups, including the NAACP, urged members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in a letter today to reject Pendley. Among other things, the letter cites Pendley’s “track record of dismantling the very agency he is tasked with managing” — a reference to BLM’s controversial headquarters move to Colorado, which has led to dozens of top officials leaving the bureau.
The letter also cites what it describes as Pendley’s “history of mocking and scapegoating marginalized communities,” including “opposing Tribes” and “working against diversity-based recruitment initiatives and standards of regulatory impact.”
Indeed, some of the groups that signed today’s letter have already publicly expressed opposition or concerns about Pendley, including the Wilderness Society and the National Wildlife Federation. Two groups that signed the letter — Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Western Watersheds Project — are currently suing the Interior Department and BLM, challenging Pendley’s authority to lead BLM on a temporary basis.”
