Bennet Will Not Support Nomination of William Perry Pendley to Lead BLM

Denver – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he will nominate William Perry Pendley to become director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages nearly 250 million acres of public land, including more than eight million acres in Colorado:  

“I will oppose William Perry Pendley’s nomination to become director of the Bureau of Land Management because his policies do not reflect Colorado’s values and commitment to conservation. Someone who has spent their entire career opposed to the very idea of public lands is unfit to lead a land management agency.  

“During Pendley’s tenure leading BLM, Colorado has had a front row seat to his priorities. Instead of listening to Colorado, he’s taking orders from President Trump and prioritizing oil and gas development above recreation and conservation. His recent approval of the Uncompahgre Resource Management Plan ignored objections from Colorado counties and failed to protect our watersheds, wildlife habitat, and agriculture. It’s hard to imagine how any member of Congress who supports public lands could support his nomination.” 

In September 2019, Bennet led 11 Senate Democrats in a letter calling on Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to terminate Pendley’s authority as acting director of the BLM. In the letter, the senators outlined their concerns with Pendley’s advocacy for the widespread sale of public lands, his efforts to roll back key conservation laws, and his long-held disregard for BLM’s important role in managing our public lands.