NEWS
Steve Pearce outlines big goals in new 'dream job' as federal BLM director
Former NM congressman cites efficient permitting, capping of orphaned oil wells as priorities in new post
Published
SANTA FE 鈥� Steve Pearce is no stranger to Washington, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped his return to the nation鈥檚 capital from being a bit of a whirlwind.
The former New Mexico congressman 鈥� he served 14 years split over two stints 鈥� has barely had time to unpack his belongings since being confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month as director of the federal Bureau of Land Management.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like I jumped on a conveyor belt, and I鈥檓 finally getting up a little speed, but they鈥檙e still moving faster than I am,鈥� Pearce said in a recent interview with the Journal from his office at BLM headquarters.
At the helm of a federal agency with roughly 5,700 employees, Pearce has quickly emerged as a target for environmental groups who disagree with President Donald Trump鈥檚 energy and environmental policies.
But Pearce, who ran a successful oilfield services company in Hobbs and also served as New Mexico Republican Party chairman, isn鈥檛 fazed by the criticism.
And he鈥檚 got a lengthy roadmap as BLM director, citing a list of priorities that include plugging all orphaned oil wells on public land and working to remediate an estimated 58,000 abandoned mines around the United States.
He also cited a directive to process oil and gas drilling applications in an effective fashion, referring to a backlog of 5,600 permit applications at the BLM鈥檚 Carlsbad Field Office when Trump took office for his second term as president last year.
With that agenda in place, Pearce has wasted little time jumping into his new role.
Since being sworn in as BLM director, he has already traveled to Grand Junction, Colorado, to participate in with other Trump administration officials about the health benefits of public lands. Pearce also plans to travel to Oregon soon to meet with local officials about timber management issues.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving the job,鈥� Pearce told the Journal. 鈥淚 served 14 years down the street, but this is a dream job for me.鈥�
A delicate dance with New Mexico leaders
Pearce was appointed in November by President Donald Trump to run the federal agency that oversees roughly 245 million acres of public lands nationwide.
He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month on a narrow 46-43 vote that saw both of New Mexico鈥檚 senators 鈥� Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luj谩n 鈥� voting in opposition.
Luj谩n cited Pearce鈥檚 past opposition to the designation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks national monument in southern New Mexico as among his primary concerns.
鈥淎t a time when Republicans are rushing to sell off our public lands, they cannot be trusted to lead the Bureau of Land Management,鈥� Luj谩n said.
A spokesman for the state Democratic Party also criticized Pearce as an 鈥渁bsurd鈥� political appointment.
However, Pearce insisted that public land sales or changes to current national monument designations are not part of his agency鈥檚 playbook, saying, 鈥淭hose are not even on the pages.鈥�
He also said he鈥檚 willing to work with whoever is elected as New Mexico鈥檚 next governor in November, citing his past collaboration with Democrats during his tenure in Congress. Democrat Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Interior secretary under Joe Biden, is running against Republican Gregg Hull in this fall鈥檚 general election.
鈥淣ew Mexico is well-poised as far as the resource. The more delicate question is, politically, will Santa Fe support the oil and gas industry?鈥� Pearce said.
Since starting his job, Pearce said jokingly that Trump does not directly call him or ask him to grab coffee. But he said he visits regularly with U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and made it clear his staff is in regular communication with the White House.
A fossil fuel focus?
The BLM oversees more than 10% of the nation鈥檚 surface area and 30% of its minerals and soils, with most of its land holdings concentrated in the western United States.
In New Mexico, the agency manages about half of all federal land in the state, or about 17.3% of the state鈥檚 total land area. The state receives royalties from oil and natural gas drilling on BLM land that make up a significant part of the state鈥檚 total revenue mix.
Pearce said a recent oil and gas lease sale of public lands in New Mexico and Texas that generated more than $4 billion in revenue showed the attractiveness of the Permian Basin to investors.
About half of that money will end up flowing to New Mexico鈥檚 coffers, Pearce said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a reflection of the value of the resource, but more than that, it鈥檚 a reflection that BLM is doing its work properly,鈥� Pearce said. 鈥淏ecause you鈥檙e not going to bid on something you can鈥檛 get to.鈥�
He also said New Mexico鈥檚 oil industry is poised to continue delivering revenue to the state for years to come, even if stubbornly high gas prices drop due to a resolution of the ongoing Iran war.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be busy when the rest of the world shuts down. That鈥檚 what major oil company executives are telling me,鈥� Pearce said.
As for the BLM鈥檚 recent , Pearce attributed the decision to scrap the so-called 鈥淧ublic Land Rule鈥� to a Trump administration focus on energy efficiency.
He said many renewable energy investments in Europe have led to spending waste and idled solar projects, saying market forces and improved energy storage technology will eventually prompt a shift toward such power sources.
鈥淩ight now, we just don鈥檛 have the capability to use it nationwide, and we鈥檙e in a very deep deficit of base power,鈥� said Pearce.
Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.
