On Wednesday morning, the Biden administration confirmed that it would nominate Tracy Stone-Manning to take over as director of the BLM.
She would serve under recently confirmed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Stone-Manning is currently the Associate Vice President for Public Lands at the National Wildlife Federation and was a chief of staff for former Gov. Steve Bullock and director of the Department of Environmental Quality.
From the Missousla Current News Journal:
"If confirmed by the Senate, Stone-Manning will take over a department that saw detrimental change during the Trump administration. Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt hired William Perry Pendley to head the BLM, but Pendley was never confirmed during the year and a half he was “acting” director.
After Steve Bullock and the Montana Department of Natural Resources Conservation sued the BLM and the Department of the Interior on July 20, 2020, Great Falls federal court judge Brian Morris ruled in September that Pendley was running the BLM illegally.
But during his time, Pendley instituted several changes including moving the BLM headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colo. The move created a brain drain for the department because a majority of the headquarters staff left rather than make the move.
Pendley, a Colorado resident, was also president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a property-rights group that regularly sued the Department of the Interior on behalf of extractive industry companies. Montanans first heard of Pendley during the Blackfoot Nation’s struggle to close down a few decades-old oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine, an area on the Rocky Mountain Front adjacent to the Blackfoot Reservation and Glacier National Park. Pendley was the lead counsel for Solonex, a Louisiana oil company that is suing the U.S. government for the right to drill in the Badger-Two Medicine.
On Wednesday, Sen. Jon Tester praised Stone-Manning, who also served as one of Tester’s senior aids.
“Tracy Stone-Manning is imminently qualified to take the helm at the Bureau of Land Management at such a critical time for the agency. She understands the complex issues facing the Department, and I know if nominated, she’d bring Montana commonsense to land management decisions that will keep our economy thriving,” Tester said in a statement.
Conservation groups that continually fought the BLM under Pendley celebrated the news.
Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said the BLM, which manages one-tenth of U.S. land, deserves a stronger, legitimate leader.
“Stone-Manning’s depth of expertise and breadth of knowledge will be critical assets in reforming the Bureau of Land Management and restoring trust in our public land managers. By listening to a broad range of stakeholders, instead of just the drilling and mining industries, Stone-Manning can restore a sense of balance in our public land management,” Rokala said in a statement.
Ben Gabriel, Montana Wilderness Association executive director, called on Sen. Steve Daines to confirm a Montanan as the BLM director.
“Having Tracy Stone Manning lead the BLM will be an incredible boon for Montana and our nation. She’s a straight shooter, with an impressive history of working on both sides of the aisle for the good of public lands, wildlife, water quality, and Montana’s rural communities,” Gabriel said in a statement."
To see the complete article from the Missoula Current News Journal, CLICK HERE.
==========================
From the BLM Press Release:
Tracy Stone-Manning was ceremonially sworn in today as Director of the Bureau of Land Management by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
“The Bureau of Land Management plays a critical role in Interior’s efforts to address the climate crisis, expand public access to our public lands, create a clean energy future, and preserve our nation’s shared outdoor heritage. Tracy brings a wealth of knowledge in conservation and environmental policy to these efforts and a history of working with diverse communities in service to our public lands,” said Secretary Haaland. “I look forward to working with her to strengthen the bureau and advance Interior’s mission.”
“I am deeply honored to lead the Bureau of Land Management and carry out its critical mission to protect and manage America’s public lands. I recognize that there is work to be done to rebuild the BLM, and I look forward to connecting with the important stakeholders that rely on its strong management,” said Director Stone-Manning. “Our public lands are one of America’s finest ideas, and I am ready to get to work alongside a remarkable team to ensure our outdoor spaces are protected for current and future generations to enjoy.”
Tracy was most recently senior advisor for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. Before joining the Federation, she served as Montana Governor Bullock’s chief of staff, where she oversaw day-to-day operations of his cabinet and the state’s 11,000 employees. She stepped into that post after serving as the director of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality and as a regional director and senior advisor to Senator Jon Tester.
Tracy holds a master's degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana and a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.
To see the complete BLM Press Release, CLICK HERE.
She would serve under recently confirmed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Stone-Manning is currently the Associate Vice President for Public Lands at the National Wildlife Federation and was a chief of staff for former Gov. Steve Bullock and director of the Department of Environmental Quality.
From the Missousla Current News Journal:
"If confirmed by the Senate, Stone-Manning will take over a department that saw detrimental change during the Trump administration. Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt hired William Perry Pendley to head the BLM, but Pendley was never confirmed during the year and a half he was “acting” director.
After Steve Bullock and the Montana Department of Natural Resources Conservation sued the BLM and the Department of the Interior on July 20, 2020, Great Falls federal court judge Brian Morris ruled in September that Pendley was running the BLM illegally.
But during his time, Pendley instituted several changes including moving the BLM headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colo. The move created a brain drain for the department because a majority of the headquarters staff left rather than make the move.
Pendley, a Colorado resident, was also president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a property-rights group that regularly sued the Department of the Interior on behalf of extractive industry companies. Montanans first heard of Pendley during the Blackfoot Nation’s struggle to close down a few decades-old oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine, an area on the Rocky Mountain Front adjacent to the Blackfoot Reservation and Glacier National Park. Pendley was the lead counsel for Solonex, a Louisiana oil company that is suing the U.S. government for the right to drill in the Badger-Two Medicine.
On Wednesday, Sen. Jon Tester praised Stone-Manning, who also served as one of Tester’s senior aids.
“Tracy Stone-Manning is imminently qualified to take the helm at the Bureau of Land Management at such a critical time for the agency. She understands the complex issues facing the Department, and I know if nominated, she’d bring Montana commonsense to land management decisions that will keep our economy thriving,” Tester said in a statement.
Conservation groups that continually fought the BLM under Pendley celebrated the news.
Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said the BLM, which manages one-tenth of U.S. land, deserves a stronger, legitimate leader.
“Stone-Manning’s depth of expertise and breadth of knowledge will be critical assets in reforming the Bureau of Land Management and restoring trust in our public land managers. By listening to a broad range of stakeholders, instead of just the drilling and mining industries, Stone-Manning can restore a sense of balance in our public land management,” Rokala said in a statement.
Ben Gabriel, Montana Wilderness Association executive director, called on Sen. Steve Daines to confirm a Montanan as the BLM director.
“Having Tracy Stone Manning lead the BLM will be an incredible boon for Montana and our nation. She’s a straight shooter, with an impressive history of working on both sides of the aisle for the good of public lands, wildlife, water quality, and Montana’s rural communities,” Gabriel said in a statement."
To see the complete article from the Missoula Current News Journal, CLICK HERE.
==========================
From the BLM Press Release:
Tracy Stone-Manning was ceremonially sworn in today as Director of the Bureau of Land Management by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
“The Bureau of Land Management plays a critical role in Interior’s efforts to address the climate crisis, expand public access to our public lands, create a clean energy future, and preserve our nation’s shared outdoor heritage. Tracy brings a wealth of knowledge in conservation and environmental policy to these efforts and a history of working with diverse communities in service to our public lands,” said Secretary Haaland. “I look forward to working with her to strengthen the bureau and advance Interior’s mission.”
“I am deeply honored to lead the Bureau of Land Management and carry out its critical mission to protect and manage America’s public lands. I recognize that there is work to be done to rebuild the BLM, and I look forward to connecting with the important stakeholders that rely on its strong management,” said Director Stone-Manning. “Our public lands are one of America’s finest ideas, and I am ready to get to work alongside a remarkable team to ensure our outdoor spaces are protected for current and future generations to enjoy.”
Tracy was most recently senior advisor for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. Before joining the Federation, she served as Montana Governor Bullock’s chief of staff, where she oversaw day-to-day operations of his cabinet and the state’s 11,000 employees. She stepped into that post after serving as the director of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality and as a regional director and senior advisor to Senator Jon Tester.
Tracy holds a master's degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana and a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.
To see the complete BLM Press Release, CLICK HERE.
RSS Feed