Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** What financial entanglements is Steve Pearce hiding?
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Then-Congressman Steve Pearce speaks at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Gage Skidmore, Flickr ([link removed])

Steve Pearce, former New Mexico congressman and President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, has built his vast wealth ([link removed]) in the oil and gas sector. His ethics agreement requires him to divest millions of dollars from fossil fuel and energy companies, yet some of his financial entanglements remain undisclosed.

Last year, Pearce made as much as $2.1 million from residential rental and leased commercial real estate properties in Hobbs, New Mexico. He also raked in up to $1.1 million last year off of frac tank leases and water sales. Frac tanks are large, liquid storage tanks most commonly used in oil and gas operations. Pearce's financial disclosure does not detail which companies Pearce leased his equipment to, which raises concerns ([link removed]) over potential conflicts of interest.

Pearce has a long history of trying to sell off national public lands. On at least seven occasions ([link removed]) , Pearce has tried to dispose of public lands for the benefit of developers and extractive industries over the American people.

Congress passes environmental funding without Trump’s major cuts

Last Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed a spending package ([link removed]) that will largely fund several science- and land-related agencies at current levels. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. The bill was, in many ways, a congressional rebuke ([link removed]) of Trump’s request to drastically cut critical federal services related to the environment.

“It really shows that our public lands are meant to be managed for everyone in this country and not just private industry looking to turn a profit,” said ([link removed]) Miranda Badgett, senior government relations representative for The Wilderness Society.


** Quick hits
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Only 20 percent of American rivers are sufficiently protected, study finds

Our Public Lands & Waters ([link removed])

Lawmakers say Trump's face on park passes breaks law

E&E News ([link removed])

Alaska's public lands are a political battleground

High Country News ([link removed])

Trump's push for coal in Colorado could bring 'massive' harm to public lands, advocates say

Inside Climate News ([link removed])

Column: Where public lands stand as we enter 2026

Wes Siler's Newsletter ([link removed])

Trump admin strips key science data from America's national parks

SFGate ([link removed])

Colorado lawmakers continue calls for review of oil train project along Colorado River

Vail Daily ([link removed])

Opinion: A test of leadership for America's public lands

Billings Gazette ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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” When you force those communities to hang on to a technology and an industry of the past, you’re just preventing people from taking advantage of opportunities of the future.”

—Rachael Hamby, Center for Western Priorities policy director, Inside Climate News ([link removed])


** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
The snowshoe hare has many tricks that help it survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of the forest. They gain their curious name from their large hind feet lined with stiff hairs that form a snowshoe, supporting their weight on the surface of the snow.

They blend in well with their surroundings because of their seasonal variation in fur color, from brown in summer to almost pure white in winter. The gradual shedding of their coat and the replacement of their guard hairs occurs twice a year, triggered by changes in day length.

The relationship between snowshoe hares and their year-round predators, including lynx and great-horned owls, is well documented. These and other predators, such as golden eagles, depend on snowshoe hares as a food source early in their nesting seasons. Across the boreal forest, many predators' populations size and reproductive success cycle with the abundance of hares.

Photo by Loren Merrill and NPS

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