ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee the management of a quarter-billion acres of public lands on Monday, as the administration pushes ahead with more mining and drilling while reversing conservation plans.
Former congressman Steve Pearce will lead the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management following Monday's 46-43 confirmation vote. Pearce’s background as a Republican Party leader in New Mexico known for supporting public land leasing and industry made him a contentious pick. Democrats and environmental groups were strongly opposed.
He attempted to assuage any fears during his February confirmation hearing by noting that he grew up on a family farm where conserving the land and water was a necessity.
“The security and economic health of the country, especially the western states, rests squarely with the BLM,” he testified. “We can and must balance the different uses of public land. Local economies and future generations depend on us doing our job right.”
The land bureau has about 10,000 employees who manage roughly 10% of land in the U.S. It’s also responsible for 700 million acres (283 million hectares) of underground minerals, including major reserves of oil, natural gas and coal.
Trump and Republicans in Congress have been unraveling regulations from former President Joe Biden's administration that are viewed as burdensome to industry. They have opened millions of acres of public lands for mining and drilling and canceled land plans and conservation strategies formulated under Biden.
The Democratic Party of New Mexico prior has called Pearce “an outright enemy of public lands,” suggesting he’s beholden to the oil and gas industry.
The Center for Western Priorities said Pearce’s confirmation was part of a broad assault by Trump and Republicans on public lands, pointing to the recent cancellation of grazing rules and other changes.
Pearce, a former fighter pilot and Vietnam War veteran, served seven terms in the U.S. House representing a district that spans oil fields, including portions of the Permian Basin and vast tracts of other public land.
He had a conservative voting record and advocated for ranchers when parts of Lincoln National Forest were closed to protect the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.
Pearce has said that his time in Congress and his visits to constituents showed him that the federal government had become what he called an absentee landlord. Instead of partnering with states and local communities on land management, he said the government was ruling over them.
As director, he vowed he would ensure local input would be part of his decision-making process.
While in Congress, Pearce urged the U.S. Interior Department to reduce the size of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument outside Las Cruces, New Mexico, as part of a nationwide review of monument designations during Trump's first term. He said a reduction would preserve traditional business enterprises on public lands. That earned him lasting ire from environmentalists who called for his nomination to be rejected.
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
FILE - Trump public lands nominee and former Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce speaks during a news conference in Albuquerque, N.M., Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell will undergo surgery Tuesday to remove loose bodies from his elbow, general manager Brandon Gomes said.
The Dodgers are optimistic that the procedure will allow Snell to return to the mound earlier than other treatment options, although the $182 million starter will still be sidelined for a significant amount of time. Gomes said Snell will have the same surgery as Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who has the same elbow problem, with the intention of returning this season.
“Hopefully it's the shorter timeline,” Gomes said. “That's the hope and the expectation right now. Obviously don't know 100% until we're in there, but that's what we expect.”
The injury-plagued World Series champions also signed veteran reliever Jonathan Hernández and optioned reliever Chayce McDermott back to the minors after one appearance, making their latest pitching shuffle Monday before they faced the NL West rival San Diego Padres for the first time this season.
Hernández opted out of his minor league contract with Philadelphia on Monday after making 13 appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, going 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 15 innings.
Hernández appeared in parts of five seasons for the Texas Rangers before bouncing through the minors with Seattle, Tampa Bay and the Phillies over the past two years. He hasn't pitched in the majors since making three appearances for the Mariners in August 2024.
McDermott made his Dodgers debut with one scoreless inning in their 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep. The Dodgers acquired the right-hander in a trade with Baltimore last month.
The Dodgers are going through another year of significant injury problems for their pitching staff, forcing them to shuffle their rotation and bullpen on a weekly basis yet again. Los Angeles still has the majors' second-lowest ERA at 3.21 entering its trip to Petco Park.
“We've dealt with this in the past,” Gomes said. “It's the reason you try to go in with as much depth as you can, knowing that things can happen. You hope that they don't pile up at the same time, which has been happening as of late, but we'll keep navigating it and work through it like we have in the past.”
High-priced starters Snell and Tyler Glasnow are out of the Dodgers' rotation due to injuries.
Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Glasnow's injured back recently “flared up,” preventing him from throwing off a mound yet. Snell has made one start for the Dodgers this season, while Glasnow left his seventh start of the year with his injury nearly two weeks ago.
Edwin Diaz, the majors' highest-paid reliever, is likely out for at least three months after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow after just seven appearances with his new team. The Dodgers then lost left-hander Jack Dreyer, their most-used reliever this season, to shoulder discomfort last weekend.
Roberts also said long-injured reliever Brusdar Graterol has had another setback in his recovery from a back injury. The hard-throwing Graterol, who hasn't pitched in the majors since the 2024 World Series, had been pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“He'll be shut down for a while,” Roberts said.
Gomes said surgery on Graterol's lower back is a possibility.
The Dodgers' other injured pitchers with significant major league experience include right-handers Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips, Ben Casparius, Landon Knack, Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller and Jake Cousins.
Utilitymen Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman have also missed the entire season to date with injuries, but both are tentatively expected back within the next month.
The Dodgers transferred Casparius to the 60-day injured list to make room for Hernández on the 40-man roster.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chayce McDermott throws to a Los Angeles Angels batter during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
