William Perry Pendley: Trump's Move to Sell Off Public Lands

September 26, 2020 UPDATE:Judge removes Trump public lands boss for serving unlawfully

AWHC Petition:Tell the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: REJECT William Pendley as BLM Director

There’s a battle raging in the West over the control of federal lands. This movement, gaining momentum within the Trump administration, is highlighted by the reorganization of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the appointment of a staunch state's rights advocate at its helm. This could mark the beginning of the end forpublic landsand the wildlife, including wild horses and burros, that inhabit them.

On July 15,William Perry Pendley, a conservative states-rights lawyer known for advocating the sale of millions of acres of public land, was quietly appointed to oversee theBLMin an acting capacity, bypassing theSenateconfirmation process.

Until recently, Pendley was president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, defending private property rights against environmental litigation. He has represented Utah counties seeking to reduce the size of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. His Twitter handle, "Sagebrush_Rebel," pays homage to a movement opposing federal land oversight.

Pendley and his supporters aim to bypass federal laws protectingpublic landsand wildlife, advocating for local control and unrestricted commercial exploitation, threatening cherished wild landscapes.

Currently, theBLMmanages land for multiple uses, requiring public comment and environmental review before implementing policies. State control would eliminate these federal requirements, allowing local decisions without citizen input, leading to industrial takeover ofpublic lands.

America’s wild horses and burros, federally protected but resented by corporate ranchers, would be particularly vulnerable. State management could bypass congressional prohibitions on their sale for slaughter, leading to mass roundups and brutal slaughter.

State control would revert to a time when ranchers dominated the West, rounding up mustangs for dog food and glue factories. While theBLMfaces challenges, state control would be far worse, replacing natural landscapes with industrialized ones.

Imaginepublic landslittered with oil rigs and livestock, destroying the natural environment. This is not what Americans want, but it’s the direction under this administration, especially with Pendley leading theBLM.

Originally Posted by the Salt Lake Tribune.