KEY POINTS

Trump nominated former New Mexico GOP Rep. Steve Pearce as director of the BLM.

Pearce has supported natural resource extraction and opposed public land ownership.

Pearce's nomination drew both praise and criticism from various groups and individuals.

The Trump administration has announced its new choice to head the Bureau of Land Management, six months after the previous nominee was asked to withdraw and 10 months since the president took office.

Steve Pearce, a former New Mexico congressman, was nominated Wednesday to lead the federal agency responsible for more than 245 million acres of land across the country, including 22.8 million acres in Utah.

His nomination as BLM director must be confirmed by the Senate.

Responses to the news were spirited. Republicans and energ

See Full Page