March 4, 2026
Contact: bill.rodgers@sierraclub.org

Sierra Club’s Rio Grande Chapter Applauds Sen. Heinrich’s Opposition to Trump’s BLM Nomination, Steve Pearce

(Albuquerque, New Mexico) — Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a vote on Donald Trump’s nomination of Steve Pearce to run the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Committee, voted against advancing his nomination, along with all of the other Democrats on the committee.

In response, Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director, released the following statement:

“We applaud Senator Heinrich for standing with Americans who value our nation’s public lands by opposing Steve Pearce’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management. New Mexicans have already rejected Pearce due to his extremely unpopular record of pushing to sell off and privatize public lands and opposing national monument designations. Pearce tried to reduce our Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument by 88% while in office.  These lands belong to all of us and are an economic engine for our communities. Americans deserve a trustworthy leader who would prioritize managing our cherished public lands for the good of all, rather than selling them off to polluting corporations.”

Trump named the 78-year-old Pearce, an ex-U.S. Representative from New Mexico, as his second choice to run BLM in November. As a congressman, Pearce supported expanding oil and gas drilling on federal public lands and led the charge to shrink the size of existing national monuments. Pearce served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003-2009, before attempting to run for New Mexico governor, a race he lost. He returned to Congress from 2011-2019, before launching a second gubernatorial bid, which he also lost. Recently, The Santa Fe New Mexican urged the Senate to reject his nomination.

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The Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club is a volunteer-led organization representing more than 35,000 members and supporters in New Mexico and West Texas. Our mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the planet, and we prioritize protecting our climate, air, water, wildlife and public lands in New Mexico and West Texas.