BILLINGS, Mont. — President Donald Trump has put forth the nomination of Kathleen Sgamma, a prominent figure in the oil and gas sector, to take the lead of an agency that oversees approximately 250 million acres of public land primarily in the western United States.
Sgamma, who serves as president of the Colorado-based Western Energy Alliance—an oil industry trade organization—is proposed to step into the role of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) director. This position has significant authority over lands designated for energy production, grazing, recreational activities, and other uses. A graduate of MIT, Sgamma has consistently advocated for the fossil fuel industry, emphasizing a need to reduce drilling limitations on public lands that generate around 10% of the nation’s oil and gas.
If her nomination gains Senate approval, Sgamma would play a crucial role in shaping Trump’s agenda on increased fossil fuel extraction, working alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Trump has expressed a commitment to enhancing oil and gas drilling in the U.S., moving away from the climate change-centric policies emphasized by President Joe Biden.
During Trump’s administration, former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt transferred the BLM headquarters to Colorado, which resulted in a notable rise in staff departures. The bureau spent the entirety of Trump’s first term without a confirmed director. However, under President Biden, the agency’s headquarters shifted back to Washington, D.C., where conservationist Traci Stone-Manning was appointed to spearhead initiatives aimed at curtailing oil and gas production in alignment with climate goals.
Sgamma’s mission would entail reversing these earlier policies, implementing directives from Burgum aimed at dramatically increasing fossil fuel output. The reforms include reassessing many of Stone-Manning’s initiatives, particularly those that limit oil and gas leases and halt coal leasing in major coal-producing regions. Additionally, there will be intensive scrutiny of renewable energy restrictions designed to protect the greater sage grouse, a bird native to the Western U.S. Burgum has also directed federal officials to reevaluate the boundaries of national monuments established under previous administrations to safeguard unique landscapes and cultural heritage.
In a statement on social media, Sgamma expressed her gratitude for the nomination and voiced her respect for the BLM’s dual mission of land stewardship and the promotion of various land uses, stating she looks forward to guiding the agency in a manner that supports the expansion of American energy while concurrently preserving the environment.
Conversely, environmental advocates have raised alarms regarding Sgamma’s potential prioritization of corporate interests at the expense of public land protections. Taylor McKinnon from the Center for Biological Diversity argued that her appointment would signify a grave threat to public lands, suggesting that Sgamma has shown a troubling disregard for environmental regulations and public welfare.
Drew Caputo, vice president of litigation at Earthjustice, critiqued the nomination, asserting it sends a clear indication that public lands may be vulnerable to exploitation by industrial entities. In contrast, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon praised Sgamma’s qualifications, stating that she possesses extensive knowledge concerning the multiple uses of public lands, particularly in Wyoming and the West.
In a related move, Trump nominated Brian Nesvik to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, another entity within the Interior Department known for its role in the recovery of endangered species and their habitats. Nesvik previously directed the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, where he advocated for the removal of federal protections for grizzly bears, a measure that would facilitate public hunting of the species, which had previously faced near-extinction.
In the final days of the Biden administration, protections were reaffirmed for over 2,000 grizzly bears in the vicinity of Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, a decision met with backlash from Republican officials in the neighboring states of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
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Reporting from Washington.
