U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester recently voted for the Great American Outdoors Act, which will help conserve public lands, expand recreation and create jobs. It was an important victory for all Americans who love to hike, hunt, fish, camp and play on our public lands.
Unfortunately, Senator Daines has indicated he plans to take a giant step backwards in the conservation of those lands by voting to confirm William Perry Pendley as director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Pendley has spent most of his career advocating to sell off our public lands. No senator can claim to be a champion for public lands and also vote to confirm William Perry Pendley to oversee those public lands.
As if advocating to sell off our public lands isn’t enough, as the “temporary” head of the BLM, Pendley signed off on the Lewistown resource management plan, which would open up over 90% of the area to oil and gas development, threatening world-class hunting grounds.
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In his previous job, he was the lawyer for wealthy out-of-staters who tried to overturn our stream access law. He pushed for oil development of the Badger-Two Medicine area, lands and waters sacred to the Blackfeet Tribe and critically important wildlife habitat.
Our public lands are supposed to be managed for multiple use so they will thrive for generations to come. That has not and will not happen with Pendley in charge. Senator Daines, oppose his nomination.
Missoula resident Marcia Brownlee is the program manager for Artemis, a conservation group of women hunters and anglers.
