President Donald Trump nominated a former lawmaker from New Mexico on Wednesday to oversee the management of vast public lands that are playing a central role in Republican attempts to ramp up fossil fuel production. The nominee for the Bureau of Land Management, former Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico, must be confirmed by the Senate. … The Sierra Club said in a statement that Pearce was “an opponent of the landscapes and waters that generations of Americans have explored and treasured.” … The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council said in a joint statement that Pearce “understands the important role that public lands play across the West.”

Related articles:

• Inside Climate News: Conservation groups blast Trump’s latest choice to head up the Bureau of Land Management
• Outdoor Life: Former New Mexico congressman (and supporter of public-land transfers) picked to lead the BLM
• Los Alamos Daily Post: Opinion: Pearce can bring his best self to BLM post
• The Land Desk: Blog: Trump picks Pearce to run Bureau of Land Management