Fox's first appearance: Republican lawmakers are asking political appointees who have already announced roles with outside environmental groups next year to recuse themselves from pending projects, citing “conflict of interest” concerns.
In a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Tuesday that was first shared with Fox News Digital, the Western Congressional Caucus asked the agency to stop people planning to join environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs). identified him and requested him to resign. Free yourself from the pending business of your current government role. The caucus is made up almost exclusively of Republicans and aims to be the “voice of rural America,” according to its website.
The letter specifically names Tracy Stone Manning, President Biden's BLM director, who has recently spoken out publicly since the end of his administration about environmental issues such as opposition to mining, drilling and other development. He announced that he will become the president of the Wilderness Society. land.
“While we are not surprised to learn of this career change, we have strong concerns that a conflict of interest may arise given the competing mandates of her current and future work,” the letter said. .
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Tracy Stone Manning during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 8, 2021 in Washington. (Caroline Breman/CQ Roll Call)
The letter argued that given the Wilderness Society's “objectives and practices,” her new position would create a conflict with Stone Manning leading the agency.
“For the past four years, the American West has suffered greatly as BLM has continued to impose policies based on the BLM Director’s future employer strategy,” the lawmakers wrote about the Wilderness Society. “Throughout the West, people who live near and depend on public lands for their economic livelihoods are suffering from new resource management plans that choose conservation over mixed use.”
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Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), chairman of the Congressional West Caucus, who led Tuesday's letter with Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), told Fox News Digital that BLM is in the public interest. They issued a statement saying there should be no conflict. .
Congressman Dan Newhouse co-authored a letter to BLM with Senator Cynthia Lummis. (Tom Williams)
In a statement shared with Fox, Newhouse said, “BLM's role is to fairly administer the multi-use mandates of America's public lands, and its mission is to protect the interests of extreme environmental groups seeking to sequester American lands. It is inconsistent with the aims of the “For this reason, I, along with my colleagues, have called on political appointees in government agencies to step back from their pending public duties if they accept future ENGO positions, as this constitutes a conflict of interest.”
Other Republicans who co-signed the letter include Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Steve Daines of Montana, and Mike Lee of Utah, as well as Western Caucus Executive Vice Chairman Also included were Representatives Doug LaMalfa of California and Ryan Zinke of Montana.
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FOX News Digital reached out to BLM for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
