Letter: Where’s Cory Gardner on the Pendley appointment?
Regarding your coverage (Our View: BLM move is a mixed bag for the state, nation; August 13, 2019) of the anti-public lands attorney who is now in charge of managing our public lands, I have one question: where’s Sen. Cory Gardner on this and how can he stand in the shadows?
If you’ve followed Sen. Gardner’s career at all, you’ve probably heard him offer glowing remarks about public lands in the past. Yet he’s supported both Ryan Zinke and David Bernhardt to run the Interior Department, who have both implemented extreme anti-public lands measures like shrinking national monuments and cutting the public out of public land management decisions. If Sen. Gardner’s track record of following in lock-step with the president is any indication, he’ll likely support making William Pendley the director of the Bureau of Land Management despite Pendley’s awful record of supporting the sell-off of our treasured lands, including recreation areas and lands set aside for conservation.
Because of Mr. Pendley’s extreme anti-public lands track record, Sen. Michael Bennet rightfully called his appointment by Secretary Bernhardt a slap in the face to Americans. We love our public lands, and personally, I want them to be here for future generations of wildlife, plant life, and public land users alike. If Sen. Gardner truly values public lands and the opportunities they provide for Colorado and our nation, then he will soundly reject Pendley and work to ensure the seat is filled by someone who can uphold the mission of the BLM.
Gabriela Zaldumbide
Gunnison
