William Perry Pendley is Unfit to Lead the Bureau of Land Management—Thank you for telling your representatives!
Remember this name: William Perry Pendley? A few weeks ago we asked climbers to write to their representatives to let them know that the outdoor community sees Pendley as unfit to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Hundreds of you took action to write your senators in opposition, and your voices were heard. Over the weekend news broke that the Trump administration withdrew its nomination of Pendley, to lead the Bureau of Land Management.
In a letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Outdoor Alliance summed up our community’s beliefs surrounding the nomination stating:
“Pendley’s longstanding advocacy for the sell-off of public lands; history of disparaging comments directed against BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities; his denial of the urgent threat of climate change; and his long history of advocacy against environmental protection and core conservation laws collectively make him manifestly unsuited to stewarding our country’s public lands.”
Photo by Julia Clark-Riddell of Anna Hazelnutt climbing the “Sad Boulders” of Payahuunadü
What now?
Unfortunately, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, intends to keep Pendley in his “acting director” role, even though he clearly would have been unable to move forward in the role if it came to a confirmation vote in the senate. We believe this is unacceptable and we believe Pendley should be forced to resign. There are several active lawsuits opposing his role as acting director that claim the Trump administration has kept him installed as acting director of the BLM far longer than what's legal under federal law. As this story progresses we will keep you up-to-date.
Thank you—the fight continues!
It is clear that the climbing and outdoor community overwhelmingly believe that Pendley is not the right person for the job. We asked our representatives to oppose the Trump administration’s nomination of Pendley to be the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and our voices were heard. Now we must demand his resignation and push for a leader who embodies the mission of the BLM. Thank you for taking action! The AAC celebrates our community’s willingness to act under pressure and take the time to impact change when public lands, members of our communities, or climbing resources are under threat.