MT nominee for national BLM director faces tough questions from GOP senators

Montanan Tracy Stone-Manning, nominated to head the U.S. Bureau of Land Management under President Biden, faced some pointed questions Tuesday from Republicans at her Senate confirmation hearing.

JOE BIDEN TO HEAD THEU-S BUREAU OF LANDMANAGEMENT HAD HERCONFIRMATION HEARIBEFORE A SENATECOMMITTEE.AND THE HEARING FORTRACY STONE-MANNINGWAS NOT WITHOUT SOMEPARTISAN FIREWORKS.M-T-N CHIEF POLITICALREPORTER MIKE DENNISONREPORTS...RIGHT FROM THE START OFSTONE-MANNING'SHEARING BEFORE THESENATE ENERGY ANDNATURAL RESOURCECOMMITTEEREPUBLICAN SENATORSDIDN'T HOLD BACK.HERE'S SEN.

JOHNBARRASSO OF WYOMING:U.S. SEN.

JOHNBARRASSO, R-WYO.: "THEBUREAU OF LAMANAGEMENT NEEDS ADIRECTOR WHO BELIEVES INAND IS COMMITTED TOUPHOLDING THE AGENCY'SMULTIPLE-USE MANDATE.BASED ON HER RECORD,I'M CONCERNED THAT MS.STONE-MANNING DOES NOTFILL THE BILL.

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PERHAPSMOST TROUBLING IS MS.STONE-MANNING'SUNVARNISHED POLITICALPARTISANSHIP."STONE-MANNING HASWORKED FOR THE NATIONAWILDLIFE FEDERATION INMISSOULA SINCE 2017.BUT, BEFORE THAT, SHEWAS CHIEF OF STAFF FORDEMOCRATIC GOV.

STEVEBULLOCK AND PART OF HISCABINET, AS DIRECTOR OFTHE STATE DEPT.

OFENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.SHE ALSO SERVED ASSTATE DIRECTOR FORDEMOCRATIC U.S. SEN.JON TESTER, WHOINTRODUCED HER AT THEHEARING TUESDAY ANDANSWERED BARRASSO'SREMARKS.U.S. SEN.

JON TESTER,D-MONT.: "AND SHE ISSOMEBODY THAT BELIEVESIN MULTIPLE USE ANDAPPROPRIATE USE.

AND IWILL TELL YOU THIS: I WOULDNOT BE HERE TODAYINTRODUCING HER IF ITHOUGHT SHE WAS THPERSON THAT YODESCRIBED."MONTANA'S OTHER U.S.SENATOR, REPUBLICANSTEVE DAINES, DIRECTEDSEVERAL POINTEDQUESTIONS AT STONE-MANNING ABOUT HERPOSITIONS ON RESOURCE-DEVELOPMENT INCLUDINGOPPOSITION TO A LONG-PROPOSED COPPER-AND-SILVER MINE NEAR LIBBY,IN NORTHWEST MONTANAU.S. SEN.

STEVEDAINES, R-MONT.: "IN2015, YOU AUTHORED ANARTICLE THAT CALLED THEROCK CREEK MINEPHILOSOPHICALLYABHORRENT,' TO QUOTEYOURSELF.

THE ROCREEK MINE WOULDCREATE 300 FULL-TIME JOBSAND BRING IN $175 MILLIONIN TAX REVENUES..

MYQUESTION IS, IS IT STILL YOURPOSITION THAT ROCKCREEK MINE, AND SIMILAMINE PROJECTS, ARE QUOTEPHILOSOPHICALLYABHORRENT.'"STONE-MANNING DIDN'TANSWER DIRECTLY BUTHAD THIS TO SAY:TRACY STONE-MANNING,BLM DIRECTOR NOMINEE:"I HOPE YOU WOULD LOOKTO MY TRACK RECORD ASDIRECTOR OF THEDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYAND MY ABILITY TO WORKWITH CLOSELY WITHINDUSTRIAL APPLICANTS ANDBE FAIR AND BETRANSPARENT, AND TOMAKE SURE THAT ANYDEVELOPMENT IS ABLE TOFOLLOW THE LAW."IF CONFIRMED SHE'DTHE FIRST CONFIRMEDDIRECTOR FOR BLM IN MORETHAN FOUR YEARS.FORMER PRESIDENTTRUMP HAD A SERIES OFACTING BLM DIRECTORSTHAT WERE NEVERCONFIRMED INCLUDINGONE THAT A JUDGE ORDEREDREMOVED, IN RESPONSE TA LAWSUIT FROM THEN-MONTANA GOV.

BULLOCK.REPORTING FROM HELENA,MIKE DENNISON, MTNNEWS.THE B-L-M OVERSEES245-MILLION ACRES OFFEDERAL LANDS, MOSTLY INTHE WEST AND MILLIONSOF ACRES OF FEDERALMINERAL RIGHTS.THE SENATE COMMITTEETOOK NO IMMEDIATEACTION ON STONMANNING'S CONFIRMATION.