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Upcoming Senate Vote for the BLM Director nominee, Steve Pearce: All You Need to Know

Stevan Pearce | Congress
Stevan Pearce | Congress

On March 4, 2026, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 11-9 to advance the nomination of former New Mexico Representative Steve Pearce for Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the full Senate confirmation vote. As a member of the committee, Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto voted against the nomination as a result of her constituents showing opposition. This opposition comes from Pearce’s record of pushing for the sale of public lands and his connection to the oil and gas sector as the former owner of an oilfield services company. 


Pearce’s rejection of public lands in Congress includes his 2016 co-sponsoring of the HEARD Act which allowed for the sell-off of federally owned public land. Then, in 2017 he voted for a bill that made it harder for the President to declare National Monuments underneath the Antiquities Act. Pearce also voted against the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which conserves natural areas, and has had various other congressional and verbal instances of opposing the continuation and conservation of public land. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico summarizes suspicions towards Pearce’s past, “[Pearce] called for the selling off of public lands. That makes it challenging for me to view his potential tenure at the BLM as one of stewardship.” This suspicion is further supported by the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s support of Pearce following the committee vote, suggesting Pearce’s potential future sale of public lands to be for the benefit of the oil and gas sector.


If Steve Pearce is confirmed as Director of the BLM, critics argue that it is likely Nevada’s uniquely large amount of public lands will be decreased, harming Nevadans’ ability to recreate as well as the economy that public lands create. The Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation states that Nevada’s outdoor recreation generates $13.7 billion in total economic output and more than 75,000 jobs–surpassing even the Silver State’s mining industry in total economic impact. Beyond the economic impact of selling off public lands, conservation issues, such as Greater Sage-grouse population and wildfire risks, would be negatively impacted if the BLM is not able to manage parts of the land anymore. 


In order to ensure public lands remain for recreational, economic, and environmental benefit, Nevada residents with concern must contact Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Senator Jacky Rosen before the vote hits the senate floor and urge them to vote NO to Steve Pearce as the Director of the BLM.


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