Biden set to pick conservation advocate for top land management role

President Biden is expected to pick Tracy Stone-Manning, a senior adviser at the National Wildlife Federation, as director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a person familiar with the selection confirmed to The Hill. 

Stone-Manning has served as chief of staff to former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) and has also led the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. She’s also worked as natural resources adviser and state director for Montana Sen. John Tester (D).

Politico previously reported that Stone-Manning would be selected for the top BLM role, citing two sources. A White House spokesperson declined to comment.

Stone-Manning joined the National Wildlife Federation in 2017 as its associate vice president for public lands, and is now its senior adviser for conservation policy.

News of her selection to lead the BLM comes as the Biden administration announced picks for several other leadership posts at the Interior Department on Wednesday, including Tommy Beaudreau as deputy Interior secretary and Shannon Estenoz as assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The Trump administration did not have a Senate-confirmed director of the land management agency. Instead, it controversially had another official to carry out the director’s duties through a series of secretarial orders and other mechanisms.

Last year, a judge ruled that William Pendley had “served unlawfully as the Acting BLM Director for 424 days.”