U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Wednesday, July 14, joined fellow Republicans on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in sending President Biden a letter that calls on him to withdraw his nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
The letter highlights the false and misleading statements made by nominee Tracy Stone-Manning in a sworn statement to the Committee. The Senators also point out Stone-Manning’s extremist activities that disqualify her to lead the BLM, which administers almost 250 million acres of federal lands and nearly 700 million acres of subsurface mineral rights.
“We believe that Ms. Stone-Manning’s false and misleading statements, as well as her extremist activities, disqualify her from serving as Director of this important agency,” the Senators wrote. “Any individual who leads this important agency must have the faith and trust of the American people. Ms. Stone-Manning has violated this trust.”
The letter included an appendix that details the facts of the case and demonstrates why Stone-Manning’s nomination must be withdrawn.
Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) led the letter, which was also signed by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).
We request that you withdraw the nomination of Ms. Tracy Stone-Manning to serve as Director of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
We do not make this request lightly. Ms. Stone-Manning has made false and misleading statements in a sworn statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Committee) regarding her activities associated with an eco-terrorist cell whose tree spiking in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest in 1989 put lives at risk. Tree spiking involves hammering a metal rod, nail, or other material into a tree trunk, either at the base where a logger might cut into the tree, or higher up where it would affect a sawmill that later processes the wood. Tree spiking causes damage to saws – and to the loggers and sawmill workers using them – if the tree is cut. A logger or sawmill worker may suffer serious injury or even death if his or her saw cuts into a tree spike and breaks. In fact, the lives of the head sawyer and other sawmill workers at Plum Creek Manufacturing’s sawmill in Pablo, Montana, were endangered when their saw hit one of the tree spikes from the 1989 incident. Wildland firefighters are also at risk from tree spikes. It is our understanding that some of the tree spikes from the 1989 incident are still in place and remain a serious threat to public safety today.
We believe that Ms. Stone-Manning’s false and misleading statements, as well as her extremist activities, disqualify her from serving as Director of this important agency. As you are aware, the BLM manages one in every ten acres of land in the United States, and approximately thirty percent of the nation’s minerals. The BLM also manages close to 65 million acres of forests and woodlands across twelve western states and Alaska. Any individual who leads this important agency must have the faith and trust of the American people. Ms. Stone-Manning has violated this trust.
President Obama’s first Director of the BLM, Bob Abbey, initially endorsed Ms. Stone-Manning’s nomination, but has now retracted his support in light of recent reports about her activities associated with the tree spiking event. In an article published in the Daily Montanan on June 18, 2021, titled “Stone-Manning’s nomination doomed after tree-spiking incident?,” Mr. Abbey was quoted as stating that Ms. Stone-Manning’s involvement with the tree spiking event “should disqualify her” from serving as Director of the BLM. “BLM needs a really strong leader,” he said. “To put someone in that position that has this type of resume will just bring needless controversy that is not good for the agency or for the public lands.”
Attached is an Appendix presenting the facts supporting why Ms. Stone-Manning’s nomination must be withdrawn. We look forward to working with you to approve a nominee that respects the rule of law and is committed to protecting American lives. Your favorable consideration of this important request is greatly appreciated.
