DENVER — A broad coalition of 28 Colorado conservation organizations expressed deep concern over the nomination of Kathleen Sgamma to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), stressing the critical need for a director committed to balanced management of public lands that respects their diverse values to Coloradans and prioritizes conservation. The conservation groups cited Ms. Sgamma’s history of prioritizing oil and gas interests above all others during her nearly 20-year tenure with the Western Energy Alliance, warning that this extensive record presents a significant conflict of interest and raises serious questions about her ability to fulfill the BLM’s multiple-use mandate. The coalition sent a letter to Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper to share their concerns.

“Public lands are the foundation of Colorado’s identity, economy and quality of life,” said Juli Slivka, Wilderness Workshop’s policy director. “They nourish our communities, sustain wildlife, support climate resilience and fuel our thriving outdoor recreation economy. The next BLM director needs to recognize the many values of our public lands and champion balanced management that promotes conservation, recreation, clean water and wildlife protection — and Kathleen Sgamma hasn’t shown us that she’s up to the task.”

Conservation Colorado’s Public Lands Campaign Manager Brien Webster expressed concern regarding Ms. Sgamma’s record, citing her previous support for legislation from Montana Sen. Steve Daines to mandate more oil and gas leasing on public lands. “Ms. Sgamma’s advocacy for this legislation is particularly alarming when considering the recent executive and secretarial orders that prioritize fossil fuel development on public lands above other uses,” said Webster. “Her extensive track record as an oil and gas lobbyist underscores concerns that public lands conservation and its broad benefits will be sacrificed for private gain, jeopardizing wildlife habitat, Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy, the health of our communities and the very concept of multiple-use management.”

The groups also criticized Sgamma’s dismissive attitude towards locally supported conservation efforts and her opposition to measures like the CORE Act. They denounced her characterization of essential environmental protections as “red tape,” emphasizing that such a perspective prioritizes short-term economic gains over the long-term health of Colorado’s iconic landscapes.

“Ms. Sgamma’s dismissal of concerns raised by local communities, business owners, tribal leaders and advocates for responsible energy development as ‘environmental obstructionism’ demonstrates a profound disrespect for the diverse values and voices of those most directly impacted by public land decisions,” added John Rader, the public lands program manager at San Juan Citizens Alliance. 

Furthermore, the coalition expressed alarm over Sgamma’s history of attempting to silence public input on land management decisions, including through litigation challenging established policies for public participation.

“Public lands belong to all Americans,” said Jane Pargiter, executive director of EcoFlight. “This disregard for public engagement undermines the very foundation of our public land system and ignores the interests of countless communities, individuals and businesses.”

Ms. Sgamma will receive a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, of which Sen. Hickenlooper is a member. The hearing has not yet been scheduled.

“Kathleen Sgamma’s nomination as BLM Director would be a disaster for Colorado’s public lands,” said Scott Braden, director of Colorado Wildlands Project. “Her entire career has been dedicated to expanding oil and gas development at the expense of the diverse values that define our Western Slope landscapes. This is not ‘multiple use’ — it’s a single-use agenda that prioritizes fossil fuel profits over wildlife, clean water, recreation and the outdoor economy. We’ve seen this playbook before and we know where it leads: more public land sacrificed, more communities ignored and more special interests calling the shots. Coloradans — hunters, anglers, outdoor businesses, and conservationists alike — deserve a BLM leader who will honor the agency’s mandate to balance uses, not rubber-stamp industry demands.”