Interior extends tenure of BLM director

The Interior Department on Friday extended the appointment of William Perry Pendley to lead the Bureau of Land Management in an acting capacity until May 5. Extending Pendley’s tenure, which was slated to expire on Friday, was met with some pushback from conservationists because of statements he has made opposing federal land ownership. Critics have argued that Interior’s continued use of temporary appointments allows the department to keep controversial figures in place who would be unlikely to be confirmed by the Senate. Pendley has been running the bureau since July 2019, and his tenure has been extended several times. Around the time of Pendley’s last extension in January, a coalition of 91 groups called for his ouster. Also extended in Friday’s order were the tenures of acting National Park Service Director David Vela, acting Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Director Lanny Erdos and acting Special Trustee for American Indians Jerold Gidner...MORE

Critics have argued that Interior’s continued use of temporary appointments allows the department to keep controversial figures in place who would be unlikely to be confirmed by the Senate.

The acting appointments prevent the enviros from:

a) Putting on a show during the hearings to attack the Trump administration's land management policies, and
b) Using the event to conduct major fundraising activities

Those are two activities at which the enviros excel and thus love to do. Combine that with a weak Chairman of the Senate committee with jurisdiction over Interior appointments, and I wouldn't expect any appointments subject to  Senate confirmation until after the November election.