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BACKSTORY
In July 2019, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt appointed William Perry Pendley acting director of the Bureau of Land Management. During a decades-long legal career, Pendley opposed federal oversight of all kinds. As recently as 2016, he argued for the privatization of public lands. (The BLM oversees about one-third of all federal lands.) The Trump administration has avoided the Senate confirmation process by letting Bernhardt extend Pendley’s appointment multiple times. As director, Pendley has relocated BLM headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, a move that employees fear will disrupt agency functions (“How BLM employees really feel about moving West,” 10/14/19)
Nick Bowlin is an editorial fellow at High Country News. Email him at nickbowlin@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline BLM’s eternal interim.
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