Internal Emails Showcase Land Agency's Coal Crush

In April, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) changed the main image on its homepage to that of a giant coal seam dwarfing a person and their vehicle. It was a stark, dystopian visual -- even without considering the climate implications. 

Journalists and social media users noticed, igniting a firestorm that was quelled only after the photograph was replaced by that of an angler fly-fishing. The agency claimed that the homepage image was the first in a rotating series that would highlight the multiple uses of BLM landscapes -- including conservation and recreation.

But was that all there was to the story, or did this overbearing coal photo represent a change in how the BLM views its mission? I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out.

The BLM responded by releasing emails showing that the public's outrage was noticed and tracked by BLM staff, with senior leadership kept in the loop. They even called out our tweets! 

[Editor's note: thanks for following, @BLMNational!] 

The controversy was enough to warrant a call between Acting Director Michael Nedd, California Director Jerome Perez, and Communications Director Matthew Allen to discuss the rest of the month's planned homepage images. But while the agency returned to uncontroversial images of people enjoying outdoor recreation, the tranquility has been broken by shots of oil and gas pump jacks. 

The most clear-cut look at the BLM's stance came from Communications Director Allen in an internal email:

"I stand behind the decision to use the photo. Coal powers America, and we play an important part in getting that coal from the ground to the grid. In fact over 1/3 of the power supply in America comes from coal. As the Secretary said in the press release for our most recent coal lease in Utah: 'The United States has more coal than any other nation on Earth and we are lucky to be at a time in our history that we have the technology available to responsibly mine coal and return our land to equal or better quality after.'" [Editor's note: there is no responsible way to mine or burn coal. It is an enormous burden on the environment.]

This tracks with the Interior Department's statement regarding the image change: "Secretary Zinke has made it clear that he will manage our public lands in accordance with President Teddy Roosevelt's mixed use philosophy, where development of our natural resources is done in a way that balances conservation and public access."

The BLM administers more land than any other federal agency: around 248 million acres, including some prime wilderness. Even though this land is owned by the public, much of it is leased to private companies for fossil fuel extraction. These lease sales typically go for far less than market value, subsidizing carbon pollution and landscape destruction.

But the Trump administration's record has been decidedly unbalanced, clearly preferring coal, oil, and gas development on BLM lands. These internal documents show no internal dissent, even in the face of public backlash. It means that we -- you, me, the Sierra Club, the entire environmental movement -- must be even more vigilant.

The BLM released 22 pages of documents in response to our request, but held back another 36. We are appealing that decision and hope to publish additional items that shine a light on how the agency is attempting to force dirty coal on the nation.