“The Battle Mountain office has repeatedly disregarded its own environmental rules and regulations to fast-track permits on public land. The historic antipathy toward federal oversight common to this region, combined with a presidential administration that has announced its hostility to decades of environmental law, has left public lands especially vulnerable.” Politico Magazine: How Washington is bending over backward for mining companies in Nevada at the expense of environmental rules. ‘This Is the Wild West Out Here.’

+ “Pendley’s entire career has been about liberating the extractive industry from environmental laws, enabling companies to pillage the lands he is now entrusted to protect.” The Trump Official Who Could Obliterate Public Lands.

+ To understand these public lands, and the politics behind many of the controversies, check out John Temple’s book: Up in Arms: How the Bundy Family Hijacked Public Lands, Outfoxed the Federal Government, and Ignited America’s Patriot Militia Movement.