Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, the oil and gas lobbyist named by Donald Trump to manage 245 million acres of the country’s public lands withdrew her nomination from consideration.
Kathleen Sgamma, who Trump nominated in February to oversee the Bureau of Land Management, announced she was withdrawing her name from consideration for the post. Sgamma has served as the president of the Western Energy Alliance, an industry trade group that has sought to greatly expand oil and gas drilling on public lands.
Prior to being nominated to run BLM, Sgamma had assembled a controversial resume. She worked for nearly two decades as a top oil and gas lobbyist. From her position at the Western Energy Alliance, she repeatedly sued the federal government to reduce or overturn protections for public lands that would limit oil and gas production. She was also a co-author of the notorious Project 2025 right-wing playbook.
Trump’s cabinet officials and other administration allies have recently signalled intentions to sell off public lands to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum referred to public lands as monetary “assets,” and some members of Congress have floated the idea of selling public landscapes to private interests.
In response, Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:
“Kathleen Sgamma’s entire career has been focused on handing over our public lands to oil and gas companies. Placing her at the top of BLM would have been a disaster, but withdrawing her nomination doesn’t change this administration’s top goal – selling off those public lands to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Donald Trump courted Big Oil CEOs during the campaign, and every action he has taken since returning to the White House has sought to hand over control of those unmatched landscapes to corporate polluters. The American people have spoken loud and clear that our public lands are not for sale.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.