“The Western Watersheds Project and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that the Interior secretary violated the Constitution and federal law when he kept David Vela and William Perry Pendley in place as “de facto” leaders of the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, respectively.
Neither have been confirmed by the Senate nor appointed by President Trump, the lawsuit notes. The groups point to an order signed by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt last week to extend the tenures of the two officials until June 5.”
