With Sell-Off Steve Confirmed to Lead the Bureau of Land Management, Local Leaders Call for Public Lands to Remain in Public Hands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2026

With Sell-Off Steve Confirmed to Lead the Bureau of Land Management, Local Leaders Call for Public Lands to Remain in Public Hands

Bishop, CA — Today, local leaders responded to the confirmation of Steve Pearce to run the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Pearce was confirmed by the Senate on May 18, 2026.

“The confirmation of Steve Pearce is a sad and frightening day for our Eastern Sierra public lands,” said Wendy Schneider, Executive Director, Friends of the Inyo. “In our area, accessible, well-cared-for public lands are so important. They support our way of life and are the backbone of our local economies. Sell-off Steve’s extraction and anti-conservation agenda puts these public lands in grave danger.”

Steve Pearce has a long track record of trying to sell off America’s national public lands, including publicly calling for the reversal of “public ownership of lands.” He sponsored legislation directing the Interior Department and the U.S. Forest Service to offer public lands for sale. He even co-authored a letter saying about America’s public lands, “most of it we do not even need.”

He did not disavow any of these positions during the confirmation process. When pressed on this issue, he said that “I’m not so sure that I’ve changed” and indicated that he would be deferential to Senator Mike Lee, the leading proponent of selling public lands in Congress.

“The Bureau of Land Management oversees 750,000 acres in the Eastern Sierra, encompassing vital recreational areas in the Bishop region, including the Volcanic Tablelands, Tungsten Hills, and Chipmunk Canyon. These areas house world class climbing venues, mountain bike trails, and hiking trails,” said Michael Collins, President of the Bishop Climber’s Coalition. “The potential sell-off of these lands presented by Steve Pearce is a terrifying prospect as it could mean the permanent loss of lands that make Bishop unique, drive the local tourism-based economy, and protect irreplaceable native & ecological resources. Steve Pearce is completely unfit to serve as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.”

“No good will come from Steve Pearce being confirmed to lead the BLM, the Bureau of Land Management”, said John Wentworth, CEO/President, the Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation (MLTPA). “Here in the Eastern Sierra, conservation and sustainable outdoor recreation interests work together to balance environmental health and local economies. Steve Pearce is committed to their mutual decimation, along with the public landscape that makes them viable. Steve Pearce will do no good for the public landscape locally, regionally, statewide, or nationally. Congressman Kiley, we hope you will be our voice in Washington, D.C., and make sure that our public lands are protected and accessible for the outdoor recreation activities that drive our economy.”

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About Friends of the Inyo
Founded in 1986, Friends of the Inyo is a nonprofit conservation organization based in California’s exquisite Eastern Sierra. Its mission is to protect the land and water of the Eastern Sierra through advocacy, education, stewardship, and community engagement.

News Staff