On April 22, the White House confirmed that President Joe Biden will nominate Tracy Stone-Manning to head up the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a federal agency charged with overseeing national monuments and other public lands, as well as key aspects of energy development.
A longtime conservation advocate, Stone-Manning has worked for the National Wildlife Federation, served as chief of staff to former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and advisor to Sen. Jon Tester, and led Montana's Department of Environmental Quality.
If confirmed, she will oversee an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior that was used and abused by the Trump administration, Interior Secretaries Ryan Zinke and David Bernhardt, and Acting BLM Director William Pendley, who was removed from the post after serving illegally for more than a year. During the previous administration, the agency shrank national monuments, threw open the doors to fossil fuel extraction, and revoked vital climate and other pressing conservation measures.
As she takes office, Stone-Manning can begin to reverse harmful policies and ensure our public lands are conserved and used in ways that benefit us all.
Here are five priorities she and the agency should act on right away:
Trump's Bureau of Land Management violated its obligations as a trustee of the nation's public lands and resources. Stone-Manning can begin to repair the damage and restore the agency's commitment to curb and adapt to climate change. She can also get started on responsibly conserving our public lands and resources to ensure their continued enjoyment. Doing so will restore policies that benefit all people, their communities, and our natural heritage.
Editor's note: This post is part of the Center for Progressive Reform's Policy for a Just America initiative. Learn more on CPR's website.