DENVER -- Colorado conservation groups are calling on the U.S. Senate to reject the nomination of William Perry Pendley for director the federal Bureau of Land Management. They say Pendley, who has been acting head of the BLM for the last year, has a history of promoting the sale of public lands.

Pendley previously was president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation. Suzanne O'Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, said his ultraconservative, anti-government values make him unqualified for the job.

"His philosophy over 30-plus years has been very consistent, it's held firm and it's not favoring federal management of public lands," O'Neill said. "He believes they should be in private hands."

In a letter to senators, the National Wildlife Federation and its affiliates in 12 western states called for lawmakers to vote against the nomination.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt touted Pendley's years in federal land management as ample qualifications to hold the position. But O'Neill said since coming to the BLM, Pendley has single-mindedly advocated for the sale of oil-and-gas leases and has neglected other aspects of the agency's mission.

"You've got energy, you've got grazing, you've got recreation, wildlife conservation, etcetra. And it's a difficult balancing act," she said. "But the leader needs to really believe in balancing, and have that messaging flow through to the state directors and others."

O'Neill said her biggest misgiving regarding Pendley is a list of 60 former clients he submitted before taking the interim job. Although he promises to recuse himself from dealing with any of them, she said they pose an insurmountable barrier to his being able to evenhandedly perform his duties.

"How can you be an effective leader when you have so many conflicts of interest?" She said. "We're looking for balance and just can't fathom how someone with that track record, philosophy and conflicts can bring balance at this very important time."

O'Neill said if Pendley is confirmed, Colorado's 22 million acres of public lands would be in danger of disappearing. Senators have not yet scheduled a vote on the nomination.

Visitor spending in and near national parks contributed to the U.S. economy at a record high level last year.

Grand Teton is one park looking at how to manage increasing visitation. Lodging, meals and other 2023 visitor spending in communities near national parks contributed more than $55 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 400,000 jobs, according to the National Park Service. Grand Teton National Park ranks fifth for visitor spending, at nearly $750 million. The park said visitor numbers are increasing and the trend is expected to continue.

Jennifer Newton, social scientist at Grand Teton National Park, said they have been collecting public comments this summer.

"We're really at a phase and a point where we're interested in getting public feedback on what our desired conditions are in the park and what we should be managing for," Newton explained.

After some fluctuations during the pandemic, Newton pointed out visitation rates in 2023 were similar to 2019, though how and when those visitors used the park shifted. According to a July report, 43% agreed Grand Teton National Park was "too crowded."

The visitor spending report also tallies the labor income, value-added and economic output based on each national park and each state. Wyoming ranks high in several of these categories. Newton noted the information is helpful at the local, regional and federal levels.

"That's really helpful whenever you think about things, too, like for every dollar that Congress invests in national parks, there is a greater than $10 return on that investment," Newton emphasized.

In the 2025 federal budget, the Biden administration requested $3.6 billion for the National Park Service, an increase of more than $250 million from the 2024 budget.


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A Montana conservation group is holding a photo contest, with a focus on dogs and social media to promote the state's vast trove of public lands.

The Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund wants photos of people with their dogs enjoying Montana's 30 million acres of public lands.

Kearstyn Cook, program director for the fund, said those lands are one-third of the state and featuring photos of dogs with their humans in the "Pups for Public Lands" photo contest is an effective way to encourage people to experience Montana's crown jewels.

"With our best friends, our dogs," Cook explained. "Because it seems like dogs are also a way of life here. Everyone has them. So, with this contest we are kind of hoping to inspire Montanans to get outside with their dogs in a responsible way that respects our public lands."

People enter the contest on Instagram by following Montana Conservation Voters, tagging them and using the hashtag "pups for public lands" in their post. The contest winners will be featured on a calendar and the top dogs will get what's described as a "prize pack of goodies."

Kim West, professional pet photographer for Missoula-based Lint Roller Productions, is a contest judge who will potentially scroll through thousands of dog photos after the contest closes Monday.

"It's a tough job looking at cute dog photos but I'm up to the task," West joked. "One of the easiest ways that people can improve their pet photos is to get low when they're taking that shot, and to photograph from the dog's eye level. It really invites the viewer into the dog's world."

West added the best time to snap a photo is in what she called the "golden hour," either early in the morning or just before dusk.

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened communities in Wyoming receive some of the funds.

Money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to help reduce wildfire risk, improve firefighter training, rehabilitate burned areas and advance research, according to the Interior Department. The focus areas are partly based on a report last year by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, with 148 recommendations on how the U.S. can approach fires more effectively.

Kimiko Barrett, wildfire researcher and policy analyst for the nonprofit research group Headwaters Economics and a member of the commission, said the recommendations build off one another but the federal government has focused on some more than others.

"It's not surprising that some of the policy is cherry-picking those recommendations that seem to be easiest or more reasonable, given the time constraints of the current administration," Barrett asserted.

The U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bipartisan bill this month, called the "Fix Our Forests Act." It could adjust permitting under the National Environmental Protection Act to make wildfire prevention projects happen faster, among other changes.

Most wildfire management is supported at the federal level, through agencies that manage public lands, as well as state foresters and natural resource managers.

Barrett notes communities are often the first line of defense when a fire ignites.

"Communities and counties need to be additionally empowered and provided the funding, the resources, the technical assistance, to be able to have more ownership over becoming more resilient," Barrett contended.

Barrett added the protection of the built environment is especially important to communities, including home and neighborhood infrastructure.


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