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President Biden's nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, Tracy Stone-Manning, faced a Senate committee that was alternately supportive and skeptical of her nomination on Tuesday. The hearing started with a pointed back-and-forth between the committee's ranking member, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who introduced Stone-Manning.
After Barrasso suggested that Stone-Manning was too partisan and not committed to upholding BLM's multiple-use mandate, Tester offered up a personal defense based on Stone-Manning's time as his state director.
“This person listens, she works, she does the right thing,” Tester said. “I would not be here today introducing her if I thought she was the person you described. This is a good person that has a good heart that understands the value of our public lands.”
BLM headquarters quandary
Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado asked Stone-Manning about the future of BLM headquarters, which was moved to Grand Junction during the Trump administration, but currently sits empty, as only three employees from Washington, DC accepted the move to Grand Junction.
“Obviously it was done in haste and it didn’t pan out the way it was promised,” Hickenlooper said during the hearing. Stone-Manning told Hickenlooper she would visit Colorado if she was confirmed, and consult with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland as the secretary considers how to restore a functioning headquarters.
“You have my commitment to dive in and carry the folks of Grand Junction and their concerns with me to the consideration,” Stone-Manning said.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee is expected to vote on Stone-Manning's nomination in the coming days.
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At a minimum, we have to take down sections of wall where they’re blocking wildlife migration. We have to work to revegetate all of the habitat that’s been bulldozed by Border Patrol.”
