Biden’s New BLM Director Nomination Sparks Clash Over Climate and Fossil Fuels
President Biden has nominated a new director for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency overseeing vast public lands and minerals in the U.S. The appointment comes amidst Republican efforts to boost fossil fuel extraction and Democratic initiatives to combat climate change.
The BLM manages a quarter-billion acres of surface land and 700 million acres of underground minerals. Under Trump, the agency was led by former Rep. Steve Pearce, who was criticized by environmentalists but supported by livestock industry groups. Pearce, a former fighter pilot and oil-services company leader, advocated for ranchers and reducing national monument sizes.
In contrast, Biden's BLM has focused on curbing oil drilling and coal mining, while expanding renewable power. This shift has drawn criticism from Republicans, who have moved to open public lands for mining and drilling, and canceled conservation strategies. Despite a government shutdown, oil, gas, and coal permitting continued, with most employees exempted from furloughs. However, the agency's workforce has decreased by roughly 800 since Trump's term began, due to layoffs and resignations.
Biden's nominee for the BLM directorship will face challenges balancing environmental concerns and industry interests. The agency's role in combating climate change and managing public lands will remain a contentious issue.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
