BREAKING NEWS: William Perry pendley’s nomination to lead bureau of land management is withdrawn!

William Perry Pendley is Unfit to Lead the Bureau of Land Management—Thank you for telling your representatives!

Remember this name: William Perry Pendley? A few weeks ago we asked climbers to write to their representatives to let them know that the outdoor community sees Pendley as unfit to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Hundreds of you took action to write your senators in opposition, and your voices were heard. Over the weekend news broke that the Trump administration withdrew its nomination of Pendley, to lead the Bureau of Land Management.

In a letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Outdoor Alliance summed up our community’s beliefs surrounding the nomination stating:

“Pendley’s longstanding advocacy for the sell-off of public lands; history of disparaging comments directed against BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities; his denial of the urgent threat of climate change; and his long history of advocacy against environmental protection and core conservation laws collectively make him manifestly unsuited to stewarding our country’s public lands.”

Photo by Julia Clark-Riddell of Anna Hazelnutt climbing the “Sad Boulders” of Payahuunadü

What now?

Unfortunately, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, intends to keep Pendley in his “acting director” role, even though he clearly would have been unable to move forward in the role if it came to a confirmation vote in the senate. We believe this is unacceptable and we believe Pendley should be forced to resign. There are several active lawsuits  opposing his role as acting director that claim the Trump administration has kept him installed as acting director of the BLM far longer than what's legal under federal law. As this story progresses we will keep you up-to-date.

Thank you—the fight continues!

It is clear that the climbing and outdoor community overwhelmingly believe that Pendley is not the right person for the job. We asked our representatives to oppose the Trump administration’s nomination of Pendley to be the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and our voices were heard. Now we must demand his resignation and push for a leader who embodies the mission of the BLM. Thank you for taking action! The AAC celebrates our community’s willingness to act under pressure and take the time to impact change when public lands, members of our communities, or climbing resources are under threat.

A Brief Update on Bears Ears

On July 26th the Bureau of Land Management released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and proposed Monument Management Plans (MMPs) for Bears Ears National Monument. This document is 800 pages in length, and while we have yet to read the full document, the AAC believes that the shrinking of the Monument was an illegal move made by the administration. We believe the BLM should work to protect and conserve the whole monument that was protected in 2016. A management plan should not have been completed prior to the court ruling of the lawsuits that are currently in the federal courts system.

The NRDC, one of the organizations who chose to sue alongside the Hopi and Utah Diné Bikéyah tribes has written a brief update of the EIS information here. Several other tribes and environmental groups have also filed suit against the Trump Administration, many of them claiming that the reduction in the monument size was an abuse of Presidential power and an illegal application of the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Access Fund also agrees that the management plan “fails climbers”. In their latest update, AF announced that they are “evaluating options to appeal the BLM’s flawed plan to the Department of Interior” in the name of appropriate management for not only world class climbing areas, but also the cultural, scientific, and natural resources of the landscape. You can read the comments written by Access Fund, Friends of Indian Creek, and Salk Lake Climbers Alliance on the draft management plan here.

You may recall that the AAC, in conjunction with our partners at the Outdoor Alliance, submitted an Amicus Brief on the case last year. You can review our comments to the court here. You can also read the AAC’s stance on the fight for Bears Ears National Monument here, and be sure to keep following the policy blog for future updates and action alerts as they arise.

Bears Ears Opened to Mining and Energy Claims

Photo: BLM

On December 4th, President Donald Trump announced his intention to reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument by more than 80% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by half. Prior to Obama’s designation of the Bears Ears Monument, climbers have been advocating for protection of this landscape-- for its cultural significance and for its incredible splitter cracks and breathtaking desert sunsets. Since Trump’s move to reduce the monument, climbers have been active in speaking out against this drastic and possibly illegal action through protests, letters and petitions. Now, several months after Trump’s proclamation, we are seeing the implications.

On February 2nd, 2018, a small provision in the proclamation to reduce Bears Ears went into effect that opened the lands outside the monument boundaries to new mining claims and energy development. This move threatens the roughly 40% of climbing areas and the Bears Ears landscape as a whole. In addition, the Bureau of Land Management is beginning its management planning process for the new, smaller monuments. This is all despite the ongoing lawsuits and legislative debates over the reductions of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, which we hope will restore the original national monument boundaries.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is moving forward prematurely with these monument management plans, and the American Alpine Club, along with its partners, has asked the agency to wait until the dust settles from the legal and legislative battles before planning and permitting the staking of mining claims. If the lawsuits succeed and the reductions are overturned, the BLM will have wasted time and resources on a costly management planning process.

Multiple bills regarding these national monuments have also been introduced in the House of Representatives, and are currently being debated in the House Committee on Natural Resources. The outcome of these lawsuits and legislation will likely alter the final boundaries of and management directives for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Join us in asking the BLM to wait until the legal and legislative debates are over before beginning any monument management planning and permitting new mining claims and energy development in the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante areas. Visit the BLM comment page to share your thoughts about the future of these landscapes. For example:

I am a rock climber and a member of the American Alpine Club. The Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante regions hold great value to our community. I am concerned by the possibility of new mining and energy development in these special places. As climbers, we ask that the Bureau of Land Management keep these areas closed to new claims, and wait to begin the management planning process until the lawsuits and legislative debates over these monuments are resolved. These areas deserve protection and a management plan that prioritizes sustainable recreation. Thank you for your consideration.

Stay tuned for more updates on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.